


Child of Light

by ken_ichijouji (dommific)



Series: Phoenix Invictus [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), X-Men: The Animated Series
Genre: Crossover, F/M, M/M, character resurrection, star trek big bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-19
Updated: 2012-10-19
Packaged: 2017-11-16 15:09:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 47,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dommific/pseuds/ken_ichijouji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enterprise has successfully completed the first year of its five year mission, but not all is going according to plan. When a race called the Shi'ar attempt to make contact with the Federation to preserve an artifact called the M'Kraan Crystal, and when Bones becomes the host for a mysterious force known only as "Phoenix," the crew of the Enterprise get sucked into a battle that could have devastating consequences for the entire galaxy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For [Star Trek Big Bang](http://startrekbigbang.livejournal.com)'s fourth round. 
> 
> Kirk, McCoy, and company are owned by Paramount, Gene Roddenberry's estate, and Bad Robot Productions. Lilandra, D'Ken, the Starjammers, and the Shi'ar Imperial guard are the property of Marvel Entertainment Group and were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. I am borrowing them for a bit of fun, and have made no profit off this endeavor.
> 
> Art by [enkanowen](http://archiveofourown.org/works/540816), with the mix done by [ivycross](http://ivycross.livejournal.com/120465.html).
> 
> Thanks to the crew at [Jim and Bones](http://jim_and_bones.livejournal.com) for all of the cheerleading and helpful feedback while I wrote this during Word Wars. I love you ladies a lot, so thank you so much for that! Thanks also to the ladies of [the Church of Elric](http://churchofelric.livejournal.com) for having been there since I had this idea three years ago. You've all been there since its beginning, and now it's actually done. So thank you for always being so encouraging.
> 
> Special thanks of course go out to my artist, [enkanowen](http://enkanowen.livejournal.com), and my mixer, [ivycross](http://ivycross.livejournal.com). I have no words for how blown away I was by your creations or how much painstaking thought you put into them. I am beyond thrilled with what I received, and it made my first time doing this even better! Thank you so very, very much for everything!
> 
> Extra special thanks go to my betas/editors [maypirate](http://maypirate.livejournal.com) and [tresa_cho](http://tresa_cho.livejournal.com). This story would be a shadow without their encouragement, comments, whip cracking, and thoughtful ideas. I am forever grateful that you guys not only wanted to read my writing, but that you were willing to help me rise up to the level this story deserved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for it; I know I'm not always easy to work with, but I really appreciate everything you do!
> 
> Oh goodness, I got gifted with more art. This is from Ensign_Conners: [Phoenix Bones in all his glory.](http://andrea-lindsay.tumblr.com/post/76805355515/this-is-fanart-for-dommis-mckirk-fic-child-of)
> 
> For [faoi_cheilt](http://faoi_cheilt.livejournal.com). <3

Leonard was seven the first time he set foot onto a shuttle. 

It was just him and his Momma, as they were headed to the Grand Canyon on a family vacation. Daddy would be joining them in a day; one of the horses was sick, and he wanted to make sure she was okay before taking off for a week. 

He stared out the window at the shuttle with a curious expression. 

He was nervous, but not unafraid, and he was also mostly excited. A real shuttle trip for the first time! Momma said he was finally grown up enough for it, and Daddy trusted him to be the man of the house on this leg of the trip.

Leonard held his Momma’s hand tightly as he saw the door open. One of the flight crew stepped out, making sure the stairs were in place for the passengers. Another member of the crew said something into a communicator to one of the other attendants that Leonard couldn’t see. He stood on his tiptoes to try and check out what was happening. 

“It’s just about time,” Momma said as she squeezed his hand. 

“Do we get to go on the shuttle first?” he asked, still not able to take his eyes off the craft. A thrill of excitement began to take him over as he watched the flight attendants talk to each other. 

“We do, Len,” Momma said. “We’re sitting towards the front of the shuttle, in what they call business class, so we get to go on first.”

“Business class sounds fancy,” Len told his Momma as they made their way to the front of the crowd of passengers. 

“It has its perks.” She handed over a special small PADD to the flight attendant. 

“McCoy, Annabelle, and Leonard,” he said with a smile to them each in turn. “Right this way.” He turned and gestured to the long walkway that led out to the shuttle stairs. Leonard looked up at his Momma with a curious expression. 

Momma gave him a nudge. “Go on, now. I’m right behind you.” She let go of his hand, then, and Leonard turned bravely forward. Excitement won out as he began to run down the ramp as fast as his short legs could carry him. A pair of flight attendants greeted him at the end with a smile. 

“Hey there, sweetie,” one of them said as she knelt down to meet him at eye level. “What’s your name?”

“Leonard,” he said boldly. “My Momma’s with me too.” He glanced to the doorway; sure enough, she was right there smiling at him. 

“Well, now that she’s here, we can help you find your seats.” She took a moment to smile up at his Momma. “Maybe before we take off you can go up front and see the pilots.”

“Can I really?” He looked back to Momma with awe on his face. She quickly ruffled his hair.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Oh, boy!” Leonard turned and began to run towards the cockpit, his Momma laughing behind him. He thought he heard her say something to the flight attendants before she called him back to her. He stopped where he stood and looked at her curiously.

“They’ll tell you when, baby.”

Leonard felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. “Oh.” He walked dejectedly back to his Momma, and once more she ruffled his hair. 

“It happens all the time,” the other flight attendant said with a wave of her hand. 

“We’re in the second row, Len, and you have the window seat.” Still blushing, Leonard walked with as much dignity as he could muster to the row in question. “On the right.”

He slid all the way across the one seat into his; his legs weren’t quite long enough to reach the ground, and they dangled slowly above the floor. He pulled open the window shade and stared out at the tarmac below. Momma put her purse in the overhead compartment before sitting down next to him. 

“It’s a three hour flight,” she said as she took her seat next to him. She pulled her long hair (the same shade as his) into a low ponytail. “They’ll give us snacks and things to drink.”

Too busy watching the crew below, Leonard could only nod his head a few times. After a minute, the friendly flight attendant from before came back to them.

“The pilots are ready for you now, sweetie,” she said with a grin. Leonard almost jumped out of his seat, but he remembered how embarrassed he was just a few minutes ago. He slowly stood up and edged past Momma. The flight attendant gestured for him to walk ahead of her, so he turned and made his way to the cockpit. A woman and a man sat in the pilot and co-pilot’s chairs respectively, and they smiled at him when he entered.

“Why hello there,” the pilot said with a grin. “I’m Captain Godin, and this is my First Officer Dunckel.”

“I’m Leonard McCoy,” he said. He hoped he sounded as grown up as he felt, being allowed in the cockpit and all.

“Nice to meet you, Leonard,” Captain Godin said. “You’re not here for small talk, though, you’re here to learn about the shuttle.”

Leonard took a long look around the cockpit. The panels in front of the Captain and First Officer were covered with important looking buttons and displays, sort of like the PADD he kept his schoolbooks on. There were joysticks, too, which he guessed were for the steering, like in Daddy’s car. 

“What do these do,” he asked as he pointed to a display. First Officer Dunckel smiled at him.

“That displays our navigation systems.”

“What’s that?”

“It tells us where we’re going, so we can make sure the shuttle doesn’t hit anything,” Dunckel explained. “It keeps us safe.”

Leonard nodded. “So we’d be unsafe without it?”

“Less safe,” the Captain clarified as she put a set of earphones around her neck. “We keep in contact via radio with people called air traffic controllers. They tell us when we’re coming up on things like mountains or even other crafts. They’re good at giving us early warnings about those things. There hasn’t been a crash like that in seventeen years.”

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Leonard nodded again. His Daddy had promised them they’d be safe flying, but he couldn’t help but be a little scared since it was his first time. Hearing the Captain say there hadn’t been a crash in seventeen years (which was _forever_ ) was a good thing to hear. Safety assured, Leonard could focus on his other questions.

“What kind of gas does it use?” Leonard looked up at the top of the cockpit, where more buttons and displays were situated. There was so much to look at and see; he wanted to take in it all. 

“It’s a compressed propellant made up of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.” Captain Godin checked something on one of her screens. “Much cleaner than the old gasoline airplanes used, and more sustainable. There’s talk of switching over to nuclear power in not just Starfleet crafts, but in civilian ones like these, but I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s safe; again, there hasn’t been a crash in seventeen years.”

Leonard nodded again. 

Dunckel glanced at Leonard from where he sat. “Thinking about becoming a pilot?” 

“I’m going to be a doctor,” Leonard said proudly, “But I’ve never flown before today, this is my first time. All this stuff is really cool.”

“It is pretty cool, if I say so myself,” Dunckel replied. “Well, here, just in case you change your mind, or even if you don’t…” He pulled out a gold pin; it was a triangle-shaped emblem of a bird in flight. “You’ve earned your wings today, Leonard.”

“Wow,” was all he could say as the First Officer pinned it to his shirt. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome, Leonard,” Captain Godin said with a smile. “Now we have important things to do before takeoff, so you better go take your seat, okay?”

“I sure will!” With that Leonard turned, beaming, and headed back to his seat with his Momma. He strutted down the aisle like a peacock until he reached the second row, then scooted past his mother.

“Momma look what they gave me,” he said as he showed her the emblem on his chest. She smiled down at him as she fondly stroked his hair. 

“I guess we’ll have to break it to your father that you aren’t going to be a doctor after all,” she said in a tone that Leonard knew meant she was teasing him. He screwed up his face in thought.

“Can’t I be both?”

She made a face that matched his as she, too, went deep into thought. “I don’t see why not. You can fly in your spare time, like Uncle Johnny does.”

A flight attendant, a different one from before, came up to them. “Care for something to drink before we take off?”

“Just water for me, thanks, and Len, would you like your go-to?”

Leonard was still admiring his pin with a big smile. “Sure, Momma.”

“Cranberry juice for him, then.” The attendant smiled, and he made his way back to the service area to get their drinks. Leonard’s mother began to buckle him into the seatbelt. She was just finished tightening it as the man brought their drinks to them. She lowered her tray and sat them down on it with a grateful smile. His Momma handed him his juice with a grin. He took it and immediately took a big drink. 

“Sip it, don’t gulp,” she said like always. Leonard rolled his eyes a little, but he did slow his drinking some.

“Momma, I’m _seven_.” 

“I know, I know, you’re seven going on thirty.” She sat back and ran her fingers through her hair. “One day, you’ll be sad that I’m not fussing over you anymore.”

“I can’t wait to grow up,” he said as he finished off his juice. “Then I’ll be a doctor and a pilot. I’ll be able to do whatever I want.”

“There’s more to growing up than that, baby, but there’s no need for you to see that before it’s time.”

At this, the flight attendants came around and took their cups from them to put into a recycler, and as Momma put her tray back the way it was, Leonard perked up in his chair a little. The doors were being sealed shut. It was time to go!

 _Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We’d like to welcome you on board Delta Flight 101, with service from Atlanta to Phoenix today. Flight duration is around two and a half hours, and we’re expecting a smooth flight. Currently in Phoenix, the winds are southeast at ten kilometers per hour, and the temperature is 29 degrees Celsius. We’ll get back to en route just as soon as we have more information. Once again, welcome aboard._ There was a pause. _Flight attendants, cross-check for take off._

The flight attendants did something Leonard couldn’t see over the chair in front of him. _Cross-check complete,_ came out over the intercom. He turned his attention back out the window to watch the shuttle take off. The shuttle was wheeling backwards slowly out of the gate. Leonard continued to watch taxiing with rapt attention.

The engines clicked on, and the shuttle shuddered from the weight. Leonard was ahead of the wings where he sat, and he looked out as the shuttle began to push off from the ground. 

This was it. 

They were flying!

The ground began to push further away from the shuttle, bit by bit. The ascent was slow, though, and cautious. Leonard watched the ground fade away bit by bit with a huge grin.

There was a low clutching noise, almost like a tear. Leonard blinked and looked at his Momma, who was staring up at the ceiling with a frown.

_This is Captain Godin speaking. We’ll be up in the air in a moment, we’re just having some difficulty with the…_

This was when the first explosion went off.

The ship lurched forward, rocking with the force of the blast. Momma looked scared now, and Leonard felt afraid too. He reached out and grabbed his Momma’s hand as tight as he could. 

They had barely taken off. The pilots could just land them and they’d all get off the shuttle. They were going to be okay.

Right?

Another explosion rocked the shuttle, causing Leonard to start shaking. Fear and dread began to wash over him, but most of all there was one powerful feeling, like he was never going to see his Daddy again. He clutched his Momma with both hands as best he could without taking off his seatbelt. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him. 

“It’ll be all right, baby,” she said as she looked at him with unshed tears in her eyes. “They’ll put us back on the ground, and we’ll evacuate. It’ll be all right.”

Somehow, Leonard got the feeling that Momma was saying this more for her sake than for his. 

People were screaming around them, he noticed. One member of the flight crew had gotten out of his seat to head to the cockpit as smoke and flames burst into the ship from the ceiling. The shuttle began to shake and tilt forwards, as if it was being brought haphazardly down. People were trying to open the emergency doors frantically to dive off the ship; they wouldn’t budge, however, because the shuttle was in the air. 

More flames poured in from above. Momma unbuckled Leonard’s seatbelt, then unbuckled her own. “Get on the floor with me, Len, and we’ll crawl to the exit so when it’s time we can get out of here!”

Leonard did as his Momma asked, even though he was still shaking. He had to try to be brave, though, for her sake. Other passengers had the same idea as they did, and were crawling as they coughed from the smoke rapidly filling the craft. 

The ship lurched suddenly forward and then stopped abruptly with a loud noise. It had been brought down, but badly, and had crashed into something at the airport. At the same moment, another explosion rocked the ship, sending Leonard, his Momma, and several other people hurtling to the front of the ship. Momma reached out and grabbed him, tucking him into her chest just barely before she slammed head first into the bulkhead. 

Her arms slackened around him, but didn’t let go. Leonard couldn’t tell if she was breathing. “Momma?”

She didn’t answer or move. She didn’t even open her eyes, and her head was at an odd angle. 

A flight attendant was frantically trying to open the door, but nothing was happening. 

“This exit must be jammed,” she said, as the passengers nearby all began to panic. “We’ll have to try the emergency exit in the middle of the ship.” 

“Momma,” Leonard said as tears fell down his face. “C’mon, Momma, we gotta go!”

Momma didn’t move.

The flames filled the ship now. It looked like there was no way off, which didn’t matter because Leonard wasn’t leaving without his Momma. The screams continued to ring in his ears as he reached out and shook her shoulders. “Momma, please,” he begged through his tears. “Please, wake up!”

She didn’t move. He couldn’t even tell if she was breathing. 

“Please,” he screamed as loud as he could. “Someone please…help…”

It was lost in the screams of the other passengers on the ship, of the other people desperately trying to escape. The flames grew brighter and began to move closer. Leonard was afraid, but he couldn’t leave his Momma alone. He continued to call out for help, even though no one paid him any mind. 

The ringing in his ears began to take another form, almost like music. The flames crept closer to him, although they weren’t hot. They were warm, but almost comforting.

Leonard knew what death was. His Great Grandmother had passed the year before, and he attended the funeral. He knew that it was different for each person, but hearing the music made him sure; he and his Momma were going to die.

The music grew louder. It was soothing almost, and gentle. He couldn’t stop crying, but weirdly he felt better. Almost peaceful.

The flames came closer, and Leonard blinked. They almost looked they were a person. 

The fire being knelt down in front of him; Leonard looked around, but none of the other passengers noticed or cared. He really was about to die; it was the only explanation for why he was having visions. 

_You are safe_ , the…he guessed person…said. It didn’t open its mouth to talk to him. Somehow, Leonard got the feeling it was speaking into his mind. But that was crazy, wasn’t it?

“Am I dying?”

 _You are safe_ , the creature repeated. Leonard had stopped crying, his tears drying into tracks on his cheeks. He felt safe, for some reason, safe and warm. The fire wasn’t burning him, somehow, even though as close as he was it should have been. 

“Why do I feel like I know you?” 

_Whether we have met before is of no consequence, but I will say that I do know you, Leonard McCoy. You called for aid. I heard. I came._

“But who are you?” Leonard blinked at the being. “You came to help me? Help me save my Momma!”

 _There is nothing more I can do for her,_ the being said in a kind, but sad voice. _There is still a chance for you._

Leonard’s eyes once again filled with tears. He began to sob. “Momma…”

_There is moisture leaking down your cheeks. Your face is becoming redder, and you are having difficulty breathing. I do not understand what is happening to you, there is no physical cause for these symptoms._

“You just told me my Momma is dead,” Leonard snapped as he wiped the tears from his face. “How’d you expect me to take it?”

_I am not familiar with emotions such as these. You have me at a loss, and I do not wish to offend. I only wish to offer assistance._

Leonard shook his head. “I don’t understand. Who are you? Why are you offering to help me?”

 _Again, you called for help. I came to aid you, but we must act quickly._ The being reached out its arms to Leonard, like his Momma did. _There is not much time. We must go now if you are to be saved._

Leonard reached out a hand slowly, before pulling it back in. He reached it out a second time. The being took a hold of it and grasped his hand in turn; Leonard flinched instinctively before relaxing. The fire didn’t burn him, instead it felt like laying in the sun on a Spring day. 

The being pulled him into its arms and carried him as it walked towards the door that had been jammed moments ago. It did something, and somehow it and Leonard walked right through the door onto the ground below. Leonard looked at the open sky with wonder.

“How did you…how’d we…”

The being did not answer him, but instead continued walking him away from the shuttle. Another loud explosion rung out, and Leonard looked over its shoulder to see that the shuttle was nothing but flaming debris. 

The fire brigade was pulling up to the scene, but something told Leonard it was too late for the people on board including his Momma. He started to cry again, weeping into the being’s shoulder.

It sat him down gingerly on the grass a safe distance away from the craft. Leonard continued to cry, more quietly this time. 

_You are safe. I have done what I could._ The being took a few steps away from him.

“Wait,” he said as he ran up to it. “You save me, and you’re just leaving? I don’t understand. Why won’t you stay with me?”

The being looked down at him, and this was when Leonard realized it was in the shape of a man. It looked…familiar, but he couldn’t place where from or why. 

_You are too young_ , it said as it reached a hand down to touch his hair. _The day will come when you will be ready, but that time is not now. I must depart._ It smiled at him. _We shall meet again, Leonard McCoy._

Leonard nodded; he wasn’t sure how, but he could tell that it (he?) was telling him the truth. He took a deep breath, but it was hard, and he began to cough. It quickly turned into a fit and he fell to his knees on the ground. 

The last thing Leonard saw before he lost consciousness was the being shifting in front of him from a human-shape into that of a large firebird. It reared its head back, giving a loud cry, before it flew off into the sky.

After that, everything went black.


	2. Chapter One

In the Delta Quadrant on a planet known as Chandilar, the night was peaceful. It was unseasonably warm, and the moons shone brightly on the capital city. 

The Temple of Sharra and K’ythri sat near the city center and, as it was late, stood mostly empty. Lilandra Neramani gathered her cape around her as she walked up the temple steps. The guards by the door knelt when they saw her; she bade them to rise, and they did. 

“It is awfully late, Princess,” one guard said to her. “Do you not have more important matters of which to attend?”

Lilandra paused. “There is nothing more important than paying my respects to our Gods. I shan’t be long.”

“By your leave, Princess,” the other guard replied. “Do you require an escort?”

“I require nothing except my privacy,” she said without looking back as the large double-doors were pushed open. “Fifteen minutes is all I need.”

“Of course.” The guards kneeled a second time as she walked inside. The temple was dark; the only lights were the odd candle and the glow of the three moons through the windows. 

As silently as she could, Lilandra made her way through the temple to the object she sought. She crept behind a corner and stayed hidden in the darkness.

It was about time for the guard to change; she would have approximately two minutes to steal the artifact and get out of the chamber. Sure enough, the guard on duty began to leave. She left her alcove and walked to the item: the most precious belonging of the Empire.

A pink crystal about a meter across, it was faceted in a way that it appeared to glow from within. It was called the M’Kraan crystal, and it belonged to the Shi’ar for countless years. 

Taking a quick look around her to make certain she was alone, Lilandra entered the code to release the crystal from its stasis field. The field went dark, and she grabbed it, securing it to her waist using a special anti-gravity belt. Her robes billowed enough that it was not visible. 

She then pulled out a flat disc and placed it where the crystal sat. A hologram sprang to life of the crystal; it was three-dimensional and programmed to have the same lighting as the real thing. Lilandra then turned the stasis field back on before turning to leave the chamber. 

She could not help but clutch her robe around her as she passed the new guard. Just a few meters more, and she would be out. It would be over for better or for worse.

At least, it would be over until she left on her starship. 

Lilandra stepped through the polished double doors, nodding to the new guards. As casually as she could manage, she made her way down the steps and away from the temple. 

Behind her, she heard an alarm go off. Without even looking back, she ran; her ship was not far. As soon as she was in range, she would be transported onto it. “M’kraen,” she called as she raised her wrist communicator to her mouth. “Beam me up. They’re onto me!”

Lights materialized around her, and she teleported onto her starship. Several crewmembers saluted at her as she stepped off the pad and onto the floor of the ship proper. Her ship’s crew was a skeleton; there were few people that Lilandra trusted with her mission, and those few had pledged their fealty to her, and more importantly, to preserve the Empire. 

“I have it,” she said with more authority than she really felt. “Let’s go, before they start to pursue us.”

“At once, Princess,” her pilot said from his console. He steered the ship out of Chandilar’s orbit, and immediately engaged the engines to full throttle. Lilandra handed the crystal to M’Kraen, her first officer and trusted friend. 

Quelling her nerves, she slipped into her normal role as admiral. “Set a course for the Sol system in the Alpha Quadrant,” she said. 

Her crewmembers all paused.

“The…Sol system?” The pilot looked confused. “Admiral, we haven’t…they haven’t ever encountered us before. Won’t our sudden appearance cause an incident?”

Lilandra thought before answering. “While the inhabitants of the Sol system are unaware of the Shi’ar, we have known of them for centuries. The Federation may be our only hope to safeguard the crystal.” The stars began to form streaks on her view screen as the vessel picked up speed. “I only pray that we make it before my brother catches on to our plan.”

\-----

Captain James Tiberius Kirk sat in his chair as he watched his helmsman, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, maneuver the ship into position. “Be it ever so humble,” Jim said to no one in particular. “There’s no place like home.”

Ensign Pavel Chekov turned around to grin. There was a loud clicking sound as the ship connected to the dock. 

Sulu sat back with a smile. “We’re in, sir,” he said as he turned around to face him. 

Jim smiled and nodded. “Those system upgrades will hopefully be done smoothly,” he said. 

Again, Chekov grinned. “It will be nice to be home for two weeks,” he said as he checked a screen on his console. 

“Yeah,” Sulu said. “My folks are taking me out to dinner to celebrate.”

Before Jim could reply, Uhura spoke. “Starfleet command has been notified, Captain. The shuttles are in place; they are ready for us to disembark.”

“Awesome,” Jim said as he stood. He tugged on the hem of his tunic, smoothing out a non-existent wrinkle. “Begin the disembarking procedure as soon as possible. We don’t want to make the natives restless.”

“Aye, sir.”

Jim walked toward the door. “Spock, you have the conn. I’ve got to see a man about a horse.”

Spock, who sat at his console observing the docking procedure, looked confused by his words. He looked over to Uhura, who simply shook her head no. “Yes, Captain,” he answered. With that, Jim stepped off the bridge and began to make his way to his Ready Room.

By way of Medical.

It was a short ride down the turbo lift to deck six, and before long Jim was in front of the Medical wing. 

Bones would probably be in his office, finishing up his last minute paperwork. He, Bones, and Scotty would be the last three officers off the ship, so he figured he would shoot the shit with Bones until it was time to disembark. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t hang out in Medical all the time or anything. 

 

Jim walked through the Med Bay doors, nodding as he went to the various staff members on duty. Christine Chapel smiled at him before gesturing to the office. Jim gave her a wink before pushing the entry code and stepping inside. Sure enough, Bones was at his desk typing something on his computer. “Jim,” he said without looking up. 

“Hey Bones,” Jim said as he took the seat across from him. He smiled at his friend. “What’s shaking?”

“Same shit, different day,” Bones answered without looking up.

Well, that wouldn’t do. 

“Ready for two weeks off? Going home to see your aunt and uncle?”

Bones did look up that time. “You already know the answer to that.”

It was true, Jim did know the answer. Bones was going back to Savannah to spend ten days with his family on their horse farm just off Whitemarsh Island. Jim would be staying in San Francisco to attend some meetings the brass scheduled for him, which was fine as his mother and Sam were both off-planet. He wished he could go to Georgia and be with Bones, but it wasn’t in the cards this time.

Jim grinned and changed tactics. “I’m visiting you from the Department of Redundancy Department. So sue me.”

Bones snorted but went back to his work. 

Jim watched him type for a while, noticing the way the computer screen highlighted the green flecks in Bones’ eyes. “I’m going to be stuck in so many boring meetings.”

There went the eyebrow.

“Seriously, it’s going to be all ‘first contact this’ and ‘diplomacy that.’ It’s torture.” He waited for Bones’ usual answer along the lines of _don’t be an ass, Jim_.

“You’ve been tortured,” Bones said without looking up, and Jim’s grin widened at his success. “I put you back together after.”

Jim watched Bones with delight; he played perfectly into his hands. “Yeah, and I’d rather have that than these meetings.”

Bones stopped typing. “Perspective called, Jim, and she asked me to tell you that she misses you.”

Jim threw his head back and laughed; victory at last. “I just don’t know how I’ll deal with these meetings without having you to bug.”

Bones smiled: not a full smile like most people would give, but just the slightest upturning of his lips that told Jim he was genuinely happy. Something in Jim’s chest caught and constricted, and he smiled back. 

“Won’t be long before we’re headed out on the shuttles,” Jim said. The look on Bones’ face predictably soured.

“God damn deathtraps,” Bones replied.

Jim became curious. “Why do you hate them so much, anyways?”

“I hate them because of...” Bones stopped typing and stared off into space for a second. Something crossed his features, something almost unspeakably sad. It faded, and he cleared his throat. “Reasons.”

Jim blinked. “You hate them because of _reasons_?” Even for Bones that was a thin excuse.

Bones’ eyes narrowed into little slits. “It’s a _phobia_ , Jim. I don’t have to have logic for it,” he snapped. 

Jim held up both his hands. “Okay, okay. Sorry; I won’t ask again.”

The anger receded, and Bones’ eyes focused on Jim. Fond exasperation danced in them, and Jim confirmed that it was a good look on Bones. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Jim leaned back, propping his feet up on Bones’ desk. Bones didn’t glare at him, but instead he chose to sit the same way. Their boots were only a couple of centimeters apart. “Nah, I finished all my paperwork yesterday. Pike wants to see us though, when we arrive on Earth. Spock too.”

“Better not take too long,” Bones replied. “I have a flight to catch tonight.” Bones typed a couple of commands and then shut down his computer. “Two flights in one day.” He looked up towards the ceiling. “What did I ever do to you?” he asked. 

Jim smiled. “It’s all the alcohol, loose women, and swearing,” he said in a chipper tone. 

Bones snorted. “Alcohol and swearing I’ll grant, but loose women? You must have me mixed up with you.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “I’m not as much of a slut as everyone assumes, not that there would be anything wrong with it if I was. You know me better than that.” 

“Yeah, I do. I can’t help myself sometimes. If you want me to stop...”

Jim raised both eyebrows. “And lose your incredibly charming disposition and witty repartee? Never.”

Bones snorted, before taking one of his feet and knocking it against Jim’s boot. He did it a couple of times, his green eyes meeting Jim’s blue ones. They looked at each other for a long while as Bones continued to lightly kick Jim’s foot. 

The buzzer to Bones’ office door rang. It was enough to break the...whatever, and Jim cleared his throat and looked away. Bones dropped his feet off the desk and sat normally in his chair. Pushing the button for his intercom, Bones said, “Come in.”

The door slid open, and there was the kindly face of Jabilo Geoffrey “Geoff” M’Benga. He smiled. “We’re about to take off,” he said. “Just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything else before we all leave.”

Bones smirked and shook his head. “No, I think I can handle it, Geoff. Thanks for asking, though.”

“Of course,” Geoff answered back with his eyes twinkling. He smiled at Jim, who smiled back. “Captain.”

“Geoff,” Jim said. “Ready for two weeks off?”

“It will be nice to get home to Darfur,” Geoff answered. “Although I do have some meetings with a couple of Vulcan healers the first few days of our leave. T’palla is a friend going back to my days at the Science Academy.”

Jim and Bones both nodded. 

“That’ll be nice, to catch up with an old friend,” Jim said. Bones nodded a second time. 

“Yes, it will be.” Geoff grinned. “Anyways, if there’s nothing that you need, Leonard, I’ll go ahead and excuse myself to finish getting ready for the shuttle.”

Bones smiled. “Yeah, of course. Have a good shore leave, Geoff.”

“You too,” Geoff answered with a wave as he closed the door behind him. Bones and Jim watched him walk through the medical wing to the main door, a couple of the nurses following suit. 

Uhura’s voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker. _All crew members departing on shuttles alpha through gamma, please report to the shuttle bay at this time. Repeat, all crew members departing on shuttles alpha through gamma, please report to the shuttle bay at this time._

Jim and Bones looked at each other, the captain opting to stand and stretch. “Guess I should let you finish so you can be ready for when our shuttle departs,” he said. 

Bones smiled at him again, that same slight upturning of his mouth. “All right then, Jim,” he answered. “See you in about an hour.”

As Jim made his way to the door, he grinned back at his best friend. “See you in an hour!” 

With that, he made his way to his quarters to get his bag.

\-----

Lieutenant-Commander Verbecke stood outside of his door on Starfleet’s new research facility, StarCore One.

“Hey Verbecke,” Doctor Peter Corbeau said with a smile. “I was going to watch a movie in the rec room. Would you like to join me?”

Verbecke smiled at Peter. “Actually yeah. Nothing too serious, though, and none of those cheesy rom-coms.”

Peter smiled. “I was thinking a classic screwball comedy actually.”

Nodding his head, Verbecke pushed the entry pad to his room. “Sounds great. Just let me take care of something really quickly.” The door slid open, and he stepped inside.

Doctor Corbeau made his way to the rec room; it was quiet on StarCore One. Most of the crew on the research station kept to themselves over the last few months. Things had started out social enough, but for some reason the situation changed. 

He sat in the rec room and queued up one of his favorite old movies, _Bringing Up Baby!_. He paused it at the opening title sequence, choosing to wait for Verbecke instead of starting it without him.

Thirty minutes passed, and Peter frowned. Better to see what was going on, he decided, and he left the rec room, making his way back to Verbecke’s quarters. He pushed the entry bell and waited; it only took a second, but Verbecke answered.

Something was different, though. His expression and eyes were completely empty, like he was a shell.

“Hey,” Peter said, and it came out hesitant. “Are we still watching the movie?”

Verbecke’s eyes clouded over for a minute. It passed, and he turned to Corbeau with a smile that seemed artificial. It was too bright, too wide for when they were basically still acquaintances. “No, thank you,” he said. “I’m pretty tired. I plan on sleeping early tonight.”

With that, and without so much as a goodbye, Verbecke closed the door. Peter stood with a perplexed look on his face. That was almost...rude. 

Oh, well. He’d worry about it later. For now, turning in early seemed to be a good idea. 

He walked the rest of the way to his quarters, input his security code, and stepped inside. That was funny...the lights were dim, but not dark. He was positive he left them off entirely when he departed that morning. “Lights,” he called, and the room’s lights rose to their full brightness. 

His quarters consisted of a large sitting area with a bedroom and bathroom off to one side. In the sitting area was an overstuffed easy chair.

In that easy chair sat a man.

He had to be at least seven feet tall, going by Peter’s estimation. He was in red armor of a curious nature; Peter had taken Interspecies Protocol like everyone else at Starfleet Academy, and he had never seen anything like it before. There were red chest plates that ended at the abdomen, exposing the man’s stomach. He also wore a red helmet with large protruding points. The strange ensemble ended with red armored leggings tucked into red boots. 

“Who are you?” Peter asked.

“It does not matter,” the man answered in Standard. “I’m only here because you’re the last one.”

“The last one of what?”

The man stood, and his smile was unkind. “The last person on this primitive station.”

“Primitive?” Peter started to back towards the door. “This is the most advanced research facility Starfleet has made to date.”

The man in red began to laugh. It was haughty and horrible. “Exactly my point. You puny Terrans. You honestly believe that you are the first ones to explore space at large.”

“Not the first ones,” Peter said, and it came out defensive. “After all, the Vulcans came to us.”

The man scoffed. “The Vulcans are just as pathetic as you Terrans. Their vaunted logic counts for little compared to the intellect and will of my people.”

“And...who are your people?” 

“You shall see in due time, when my Majestor takes his rightful place as The End of All That Is,” the man answered. “This will be painless if you do not struggle.”

Peter managed to open his door and start backing out of it. “I highly doubt that.”

The man laughed. “You are far more perceptive than your peers. There is great pain involved in what I must do, but I promise I will be more gentle if you cooperate.”

“Not bloody likely,” Peter snapped, and with that he turned and ran out of the room. He was two decks below the communications hub. It wouldn’t take long for him to reach it and send a message to Starfleet command that there was a security breach. 

Unfortunately for him, every Starfleet officer on his deck opened their doors and pursued him. They ran after him, and their steps were in sync with each other. All of them had empty looks on their faces and they followed him without care of their own safety. This meant only one thing.

Mind control.

Cursing under his breath, Peter wondered why he hadn’t put two and two together about it sooner. The weird way the crew had been acting for the last few months...this person subverted them. 

He continued to run as fast as he could to the turbo lift. Two officers greeted him as the door opened. He skidded to a stop before running in west. He heard their footsteps, like marching, follow him as he ran. Their sheer numbers won out as an Andorian security officer tackled Peter, and two Terran scientists held his arms. “Get off of me,” he shouted as the man in red made his way over to him. “I haven’t done anything wrong! Let me go!”

“You’re running to tell your precious Starfleet,” the man answered as he pulled a tube out of his leggings. “I cannot allow that.” There was something in the tube that glimmered. It was purple, with a light that blinked every couple of seconds. “At least, I cannot allow that until Majestor D’Ken has what he needs.”

Two more of the crewmembers held his wrists to the ground. Peter tried to thrash in their grip, but he couldn’t move at all. The man smiled.

“Flip him onto his stomach for me,” he said with a grin that could only be described as psychotic. “The implant goes in the back of the neck, just like it did with all of you.”

Without a word, Peter was picked up from the ground and shifted so that his back was to the red man. He heard the sound of the tube being uncapped, and then he felt a metal object climb up his spine. “Whoever you are,” he said, “Starfleet will come after you for this! They’ll figure it out and----”

At that, the metal thing pinched in the back of his neck. It burned, and he choked out another scream. Sweat poured down his face, and he again thrashed in the other officers’ grip. 

He heard the man say “Shi’ar Agent Davan Shakari, codename Erik the Red, reporting to the Emperor...we have StarCore secured. All of the personnel have been subverted. Emperor D’Ken may arrive when he so desires.”

Everything went black.

\-----

“I still can’t believe this,” Bones said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

He, Spock, and Jim were standing at Starfleet Academy’s shuttle port. They were waiting on the arrival of the shuttle they would be taking to StarCore One, a new research facility near Venus.

“You know we have to go,” Jim said. “Like Pike explained, we’re the heroes of the _Narada_ incident, and we’re coming off the first year of the five year mission. Us going gives StarCore some more legitimacy, even if it is just a publicity stunt.”

Spock, whose expression looked nauseated, nodded his agreement. “StarCore One is a new facility, and it was hard won for the Research and Development Department. While I admit I am not thrilled to have my plans to spend the leave with Nyota’s family disrupted, it is part of our duty as Starfleet officers.”

“Although it was really entertaining to see you go off on Pike like that,” Jim added. “I felt like I could taste your rage, Bones. That’s impressive.”

Bones sighed. “I’d probably be sent to Delta Vega if I didn’t already have an assignment.”

Jim smiled, but his eyes were sad. “Yeah. I’m sorry,” Jim began, and Bones looked at him with a curious expression. “I know how much spending time with your family means to you.”

Bones sighed. “It’s all right. I’m more pissed about not being given the option to say no than I am at the fact that I’m here.”

Jim’s eyes lightened a little, and a smile formed. Before he could retort, Spock cleared his throat. “It is a bit late for that to be of such concern to you, Doctor,” the Vulcan explained, “seeing as that is the very nature of an established chain of command.”

Growling a little, Bones immediately drew himself up to his full height. _That no-good, Vulcan jackass_. “I understand that, Spock, and I’m not stupid. It can still piss me off, though.”

Jim’s hand tightened on his shoulder, squeezing it. The smile on his face said he was amused, but the softness around and in his eyes was nothing but supportive. Bones decided to not pay too much attention to how his best friend looked, instead choosing to roll his eyes at Spock.

Still though, the fact that Jim was supporting him was pretty great, if he was being honest. 

“Getting upset at things that are a clear facet of your existence is highly illogical,” Spock continued. “It is pointless to be disappointed with things one cannot change.”

Bones was quiet as he considered his words. “As much as it pains me to say it, you’re not wrong about that. However, getting upset at the hand fate deals us, while illogical, is a very _human_ thing to do. Things that are human aren’t inherently good or bad, they’re just different from what you’re used to.”

For once, Spock looked like he didn’t know what to say. Jim’s eyes were sparkling in pleasure, so Bones figured he could chalk this one up in the _win_ column. Jim squeezed his shoulder again before letting go of it. 

Bones tried not to notice how that felt like a loss.

Well, okay.

He noticed. 

He noticed it a lot. That wasn’t the problem. 

The problem was that _Jim_ didn’t notice. 

At _all_.

Bones sighed. Jim raised an eyebrow, and he gave him a questioning look. Bones opened his mouth to reply before closing it.

Randomly blurting out _I want you_ was probably a terrible idea. 

Bones sighed a second time and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nothing. Just…still mad.”

Jim patted him once on the back. “There, there tiger.”

It took every ounce of Bones’ willpower to not lean into it. “Thanks.” He turned back to Spock. Bones didn’t often win these verbal sparring matches, so he wasn’t above a bit of gloating. “What’s wrong, Spock? Cat got your tongue?”

This brought Spock back down to Earth, figuratively speaking. “That idiom is a very nonsensical way of querying the reason for my silence, Doctor McCoy.”

Bones shrugged. “I didn’t come up with it, but I’ll be sure to pass it along to whoever’s in charge.”

A man in a security uniform came to greet them. Jim looked at him curiously. “Lieutenant Leslie.”

“Sir,” Philip Leslie said with a salute. “I’m here to go to StarCore with you all.”

Bones gave Jim a look; the captain looked more perplexed than anything else. “Pike didn’t tell me we were going to have a security detail,” Jim answered. 

Leslie, who still stood at attention, didn’t even blink. “It’s just me, sir. Admiral Pike requested one officer go with you.”

“At ease, for God’s sake,” Jim said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Leslie relaxed. “Why wasn’t I told about this at the briefing with Pike himself?”

It was momentary, but Leslie hesitated. This caused Spock to raise an eyebrow, and both Jim and Bones to narrow their eyes. “He just wants me to go along as a precaution,” the lieutenant finally said. “Just in case.”

“In case of what?” Bones couldn’t help but ask.

“He didn’t say, sir,” Leslie admitted, and Bones could tell by the earnestness on his face that it was the truth. “He just said I should keep an eye out for you all.”

Now Jim looked irritated. Bones sighed; Jim always got frustrated when he felt that the brass was keeping him in the dark. This was proving to be no exception. “Well, if Pike ordered you along, then so be it,” Jim said. “Come on, I think our shuttle’s about ready.”

Bones gave the shuttle a quick glance. Indeed, it appeared to be ready. He hadn’t had nearly enough alcohol for this. Instinctively, he reached for his flask. Right, he was on duty. 

That meant no flask.

God damn it.

Bones sighed a second time. Jim gave him a sympathetic look. “Want me to hold your hand?” he asked with a bit of a smile.

_Yes_ , Bones thought. “Thanks, that won’t be necessary,” is what came out. Jim nudged his shoulder with his own before turning to the shuttle pilot. 

Something told him to not board the shuttle, though. It wasn’t his usual anxiety setting in...this was different and more foreboding. 

Like he wasn’t going to come back this time.

Something caught Bones’ attention out of the corner of his eye; it was a bright flash, as if a star fell from the heavens. He turned his head to the left, and there it was.

It was in the shape of a man, but it appeared to be made of living flame. 

Bones froze.

It couldn’t be.

The being continued to watch him, although Bones couldn’t say if it was being friendly or not. It also looked like a person he should recognize, but he couldn’t immediately pinpoint what it was that made him feel that way.

This shouldn’t have been possible.

He imagined that whole thing the day his Momma died.

Hadn’t he?

The being took a step towards him. It raised a hand to beckon him closer.

“Bones?”

Bones continued to stare at the creature as it took another step. “Yeah?”

Jim stood next to him and looked in the same direction. “What are you staring at?”

Blinking, Bones turned to look at Jim. He then turned his attention back to the fire being; it was closer now and still waving at him. He looked to Jim again. 

Jim was staring at the same spot but with a confused set to his mouth.

Bones was smart enough to deduce what this meant. It meant that Jim couldn’t see it; it likely meant that Bones was the only one who could. Bones thought about the last time he told someone about what he had seen. His father said a lot of placating words about concussions and brain swelling. 

Above all, his father didn’t believe him.

Jim would react by sending Bones to Starfleet General. He’d become rather concerned for him, but he wouldn’t believe him either. 

It was a quick decision to make.

“Nothing,” Bones said. “I just was thinking and got carried away.” He cleared his throat and ignored the flames. “It’s nothing.”

Jim gave him a look that said he wasn’t convinced, but they walked towards the shuttle. 

Bones almost didn’t turn to look at the light one final time as they boarded.

Almost.

And as he buckled into his safety harness next to Jim and across from Spock, it clicked as to why the fire creature looked familiar both times.

It looked familiar because...because it looked like _Bones_.


	3. Chapter Two

As always, Starfleet Headquarters was busy. Officers performed every job as they worked, and the rooms hummed with all the activity.

Among these officers was Admiral Christopher Pike. He leaned on his cane, which was his souvenir from the _Narada_ incident. He felt himself smile a little; that he could walk was due to the quick thinking of Leonard McCoy, who now worked under Jim Kirk on the _Enterprise_.

Speaking of, the doctor had been incensed when Pike ordered him, Spock, and Jim to go to Starcore. Jim had also looked at him curiously, but held back whatever it was he wanted to say.

There was an ulterior motive for sending them there, Pike mused as he sipped his coffee. The public relations job had been created for him as a kind of consolation prize after his injuries, so that was part of it. A lot of people in Starfleet considered StarCore to be a waste of the R&D budget; Jim and the others going there would give it some legitimacy. 

There was something odd about the staff that would report into HQ, though. They always said everything was fine, but the looks in their eyes…it was like staring at a blank slate. There was nothing going on upstairs, like they were going through the motions of reporting in. It was disconcerting, to say the least, and if something was going on, Pike knew Jim would get to the bottom of it.

A communications officer held her hand up to her headphones, before turning to Pike. “Sir, I’m getting a message, but it’s coming from deep space.”

“Put it on the loudspeaker,” Pike said, and she did as she was told.

It sounded throughout the room, and all Pike could tell was that it was a woman speaking. The transmission quality was terrible; there was static, parts of it dropped and faded…it was almost impossible to decipher. “Can we do anything about that?” he asked, and the woman increased the volume and did something else at her controls.

“This is the best I can do here,” she said. She made a frustrated sound under her breath. “I can’t make heads or tails of this.”

Pike nodded; sure, she couldn’t here with this equipment, but he knew someone else who could.

“Is it looping?”

“Best I can tell, sir.”

“Record it.” He took a step back and opened his communicator. “Get me Commander Gioia.”

The line whistled, and then Gioia picked up. _Commander Gioia._

“Gioia, it’s Pike.” He walked back over to the officer, and she handed him a disc. “I have something you might be interested in that takes a priority. You game?”

\-----

It was quiet on StarCore One.

This was a good thing, Davan Shakari supposed as he sat in the communications center with several techs. 

It would not do to have any red flags sent to the insipid Starfleet organization, and so he kept all assigned parties at their stations. They kept up the regular reports to Starfleet headquarters so as to avoid suspicion.

A transmission came through. Shakari signaled for one of the techs to put it on the overheard speakers.

_This is shuttle Galileo requesting permission to dock, StarCore. Repeat, this is Galileo requesting permission to dock. Over._

Shakari stared down at the communications console.

“I didn’t know anything about visitors,” he said as he turned to the techs. Both of their expressions turned frightened for a second before going back to being blank.

“They are from the _Enterprise_ ,” one of the techs said. “Starfleet sent them to take a tour.”

Shakari rubbed his chin with a gloved hand. “This will complicate matters. They must not know about the Traitor, lest she somehow convince them that she is right.” He looked at a device attached to his wrist. A series of lights flashed up at him, and it hit him.

Having an entire station under his control was good, but having outside officers in his thrall could prove useful.

“Tell them they have permission to dock,” he said. The tech’s eyes went glassy before she turned on her microphone.

“Permission granted, _Galileo_ , you are clear to dock.”

Shakari smiled. “When they board StarCore, kill the pilot. Make certain they cannot leave.”

The techs nodded their agreement.

\-----

Jim Kirk sat next to Bones in the passenger bay of the _Galileo_ shuttle, watching his best friend with some dark amusement. Bones, who had gone white during take off and nearly vomited, was still pale, but he managed to stay in his seat for the duration.

Jim felt pride surge through him at that. He nudged Bones’ shoulder with his own. “Hanging in there, champ?” he whispered.

Bones grimaced. “Yeah. We’re almost there anyhow. I’ll be fine once we land.”

Jim smiled at him; Bones didn’t return it. They both were sweating, though, and not from nerves. Jim pulled at his collar. “Why’s it so hot?”

“The solar storm, sir,” Leslie answered while Spock nodded his agreement.

“We are much closer to it here on StarCore than we would be on Earth,” Spock elaborated. “It is logical that we would feel the effects of such an event as we get closer to Venus.”

Right. Jim read something about it on his last reports from Earth. That was a big part of why StarCore was made, so Starfleet could monitor events like this storm and potentially work out a way to make practical use of them for the future

“Corbeau’s here, right?” Bones said.

Before Jim could answer, Spock said, “Doctor Corbeau is the Science Officer on StarCore One. He has written several articles about the solar storm, which have proven to be most fascinating.”

The shuttle began its docking procedure, and Jim couldn’t help but think it had been quick. They had only flown for an hour or so, give or take a few minutes. Bones regained some of his normal coloring, and Jim smiled again out of relief. 

_This is Lieutenant McKenna speaking; we are docking on StarCore. Estimate five minutes before we’ll be clear to open the doors._

A loud clack noise sounded, followed by a hitch in the shuttle’s movement. Sure enough, the shuttle had docked. Jim undid his harness, unable to wait and sit still any longer.

“You should put that back on,” Bones said between clenched teeth. He stayed buckled in place.

“Eh,” Jim said with a wave of his hand. “We’re fine. It’s just docking.”

Spock and Leslie, who were also still buckled up, looked at the captain. “I agree with Doctor McCoy; docking is not always smooth, as the cabin can…”

At this, the cabin jerked suddenly, throwing Jim onto the floor. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees with a grimace. 

“Lurch,” Spock finished, and Jim got the feeling that if Vulcans laughed, Spock would be doing so at that moment. Bones, being human, had no such qualms about displaying amusement and was snickering.

“Shut up,” Jim said to Bones.

“Make me,” Bones countered. “Though, I should be thanking you. It took my mind off the landing.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jim said as he stood, holding onto a railing to avoid falling a second time. “See if you still laugh when I cut your salary.”

Bones continued to laugh. “You can’t cut my pay. That’s set by the brass.”

Jim grinned. “I can tell them to demote you.”

After considering his words, Bones got an assholish smirk on his face. “They’d never do it; not over this, at least. I’ve got witnesses to back me up.”

Shit.

Jim looked at Spock and Leslie, that latter he now noticed was trying not to laugh at him. “ _Et tu, Brute_?”

“Lying is illogical and serves no purpose,” Spock answered.

“Besides, that was like… _really funny_ ,” Leslie added with a chuckle.

Jim frowned. Just then, the pilot’s voice sounded over the loudspeakers.

_Shuttle Galileo is docked, prepare to disembark. Repeat: Galileo is docked, you are clear to disembark._

Jim sighed and grabbed his duffel from where it sat above his head in a compartment. Bones, Leslie, and Spock undid their harnesses and also grabbed their bags. The shuttlecraft’s doors opened, and they stepped out one by one into Starcore’s bay. There the sight of two Starfleet officers, one of who was Doctor Peter Corbeau, greeted them. 

Jim smiled. “Doctor Corbeau,” he said warmly as he walked over to him. “It’s been a while,” he added as he extended a hand.

Doctor Corbeau looked at Jim with a blank expression. “Welcome aboard, Captain Kirk.” He turned to the others. “Doctor McCoy. Commander Spock.”

The smile fell off Jim’s face. “Doctor?”

“Your stay will be brief, but we hope it will be…enlightening,” Corbeau continued. Now Jim outright frowned; what happened to the warm professor who hated formalities? “Verbecke, show them to their quarters,” he said to the other man, who nodded. 

“This way please,” Verbecke said as he made his way out of the shuttle compartment. 

Jim ignored him and turned his attention back to Corbeau. “Sir, I was hoping to talk with you a little. It’s been a year since we last spoke, and I thought we could…”

Corbeau’s eyes clouded over for a second before he turned to Jim with a little smile. “I’m afraid I’m very busy, Captain. There is much we have to do on StarCore.” The smile didn’t look right on his face, it looked false and unnatural and caused Jim to frown. “Verbecke will show you to your quarters. I’m sure you’re very tired after your travels. I’ll see you all for dinner,” Corbeau said as he gestured for Verbecke to show them the way. 

Leslie shrugged and followed him. Spock and Bones hung back for a second; both of them looked at Jim with questioning expressions.

“You had him for Astrosciences, didn’t you?” Bones asked. “I remember him buying you a scotch after your ceremony.”

“Yeah, we weren’t super close, but we’re closer than…whatever the hell that just was,” Jim said as he kept his eyes on Corbeau’s retreating back. 

“Perhaps the stress of helming an experimental facility such as StarCore is having a deleterious affect on Doctor Corbeau,” Spock said. 

Jim frowned. “No there was something else…something in his eyes…I can’t explain it, but it’s like they darkened when I protested. He hesitated too, did you see that?”

“I did, but I don’t know him,” Bones admitted. “You think something’s rotten in the state of Denmark, don’t you?”

“Denmark is a country,” Spock said almost to himself. Both Jim and Bones ignored him.

“I don’t know yet that something’s wrong per se,” Jim said. “I don’t have enough evidence, but something’s definitely off at least.”

Verbecke stood with Leslie by the door leading from the shuttle bay into a hallway on StarCore. “Captain? Gentlemen?” he called.

Jim dropped his voice low. “Don’t act like anything’s wrong. Act natural until we get to the bottom of this.” Spock inclined his head to show his agreement; Bones frowned, but he nodded too. “We’re coming, sorry. Just a bit of _Enterprise_ business,” he offered as an explanation. He ran over to Leslie and Verbecke; Bones and Spock followed suit. 

Verbecke smiled, and although Jim had never met him before, he also felt that it was false; there was something about how rigid his mouth was that bothered him. “This way, gentlemen. Our guest accommodations are quite comfortable. You may even feel like you’ll never want to leave.”

Jim narrowed his eyes at the officer’s words as Bones gave him a sideways glance. Jim spared a look to Spock, who raised an eyebrow.

What an odd thing to say.

“I’m sure they’re lovely,” Jim said after a pause. 

Verbecke’s eyes did that clouding thing that Peter’s did, and he smiled. “Right this way,” he said as he led them down the corridor. Jim followed, but he did glance back into the shuttle bay.

It was weird, but it felt like he was being watched. Not in the security on monitors way that was common with Starfleet, but in a sinister _something was out to get him_ way. It didn’t jive with the briefing of StarCore One, but there it was. 

One thing Jim knew; he would figure out what was going on and soon.

\-----

When Spock told her about Admiral Pike’s plans, Nyota understood.

And was irritated.

Mostly, she understood. It had only been a year since they last saw her family; delaying the visit by a few days wasn’t really that big of a deal. It was a slight inconvenience at the outside.

Still though, she was at somewhat loose ends in San Francisco while Spock was on the research station. She had dinner plans with Hikaru and Pavel later; Scotty and Christine would join them. 

Having little else to do, she decided to head over to the Long-Range Sensor lab at Starfleet Academy, and then maybe pay a visit to Commander Gioia while she was there. 

While Spock had been Nyota’s professor for Interspecies Protocol, which kick started their mentor and eventual romantic relationship, Professor Gioia had been Nyota’s faculty advisor and Xenolinguistics Professor. They worked close together during her three years at the Academy, and Nyota made a point to stay in touch once she received her assignment on board the _Enterprise_.

It would be nice to catch up face-to-face for a change.

Nyota walked through the lab doors to the reception area. A cadet she didn’t recognize was sitting at the desk. “May I help you?” he asked.

“Lieutenant Uhura here to see Commander Gioia,” Nyota said with a smile. 

The cadet smiled back at her. “Of course,” he said as he pushed a button on his display panel. Within seconds, a miniature hologram of Professor Gioia appeared on screen. 

“Yes, Cadet?” she said in a brusque voice. She appeared to have been in the middle of something. 

Oh dear. 

Maybe she should have called first.

“Lieutenant Uhura is here to see you, Commander,” the cadet explained. 

Gioia brightened at this. “Her timing is impeccable. Send her right in.”

Or maybe not.

The hologram flickered out of existence. 

“She’s in Long-Range lab three,” the cadet said. 

Nyota smiled and nodded. “I know the way,” she said. With a little wave, she departed down the hall to the lab. The walk was short, and before too long she stood before the lab. She pushed the entry bell before opening the door.

Gioia sat in a chair with a look of concentration on her face. She was listening to something over the room’s speakers, but it sounded a bit garbled. 

Nyota frowned. “I can come back if it’s not a good time,” she said. Gioia gestured for her to stop talking. That left nothing for Nyota to do but stand and listen. It was a message that much she could make out. Judging from the tone of the speaker, it was urgent. 

But it was garbled, full of static, and impossible to decipher. 

Gioia played the transmission on a loop; it cycled back to the beginning and started over. Nyota listened to it a second time, and she concentrated on trying to pick out words or phrases. If she focused, it sounded like she could make out the beginnings of a few words. Nyota closed her eyes so she could listen without being distracted by her other senses.

She listened so intently, she didn’t notice Gioia scrutinizing her. 

Gioia smirked. “Now you know why I made that comment about your impeccable timing,” she remarked. “Your aural sensitivity has yet to be matched by anyone at this campus, as an instructor or as a student.”

Nyota shook herself out of it, and her cheeks flushed. “I hardly think that I’m better than...”

Gioia waved a hand. “Facts are facts, Nyota. You’re the best linguist this organization’s seen since Hoshi Sato herself. If you decided you wanted to teach instead of being out in the black, I’d be out of a job.”

Not knowing what to say, Nyota stood with a shocked look on her face. She knew she was good at her job but the best since Sato? She invented the universal translator for God’s sake! 

Speaking of… “I take it running it through the computer won’t work?”

Gioia got a look on her face that could only be described as _mildly aggrieved_. “For some reason, the computer keeps rejecting the message when I run it through. It won’t take.”

That was odd, and also didn’t bode well for how easy this message would be to decipher. Nyota nodded once. Gioia pulled out a media player and handed it to her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at the device in her hand. “I don’t…”

“I know you’re on shore leave,” Gioia began as she made her way back to her chair. “I’d really appreciate it if you’d listen to that for me and let me know what you can come up with.”

Smiling, Nyota put the player in her purse. “I happen to be at loose ends for the next forty-eight hours. In other words, I’d be honored.”

The professor smiled back. “Great. I’ll keep working on it too; maybe we can meet up in a day to compare notes.”

“That sounds good,” Nyota said as she made her way to the lab door. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Gioia shook her head. “No, I think I’m asking too much as it stands. And Nyota? Good luck.”

Nyota left the lab. She walked back to the temporary quarters she was given with a frown.

If the universal translator couldn’t decipher the message, and Gioia couldn’t do it either, she wasn’t sure she’d be of much use. Sure she had started to pick up a few things, but that didn’t mean she could decipher it in its entirety.

Nyota pulled out the media player along with a pair of ear buds from her purse. She plugged them into the player and placed one in each ear. She then turned the message on.

She listened to it the whole way back to her quarters.

\-----

Several hours later, Bones entered StarCore’s formal dining room, carrying his medical kit like a security blanket; Jim and Spock stood inside, and Jim was on edge if the tightness around his eyes was any indication.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Bones said as he looked to make sure they were alone. “But everyone I’ve run into on this tin can is acting like a zombie.”

“I would not use those words,” Spock said, “But I cannot deny there is truth to them, Doctor.”

“It just doesn’t make sense,” Jim said as he paced next to the table, which was set for four. “I know Peter Corbeau, and he is acting like someone completely different. Like a robot.” He looked at Spock and Bones. “We need to figure out what’s up, maybe get Pike to send a team here.”

“Admiral Pike will not act without evidence,” Spock said. 

Bones crossed his arms over his chest. “Spock’s right, we need something more concrete before we go to him.”

At this, the door slid open revealing Peter Corbeau. He smiled at them, and Bones saw how strained it looked. 

“Gentlemen,” Corbeau said as he walked to the head of the table. “I trust you’ve rested from your journey.” He gestured for them to sit, and they did: Jim to Corbeau’s right, Bones directly across from him, and Spock to Bones’ right. Corbeau took his seat and shook out his napkin. “Our kitchen staff here on StarCore is excellent, although we do have replicators throughout the facility.”

Food was beamed onto their plates; steaks with a dark, thick sauce for dipping and some kind of baked beans for the humans, and a barbequed vegetable platter for Spock.

“Monkey gland sauce,” Corbeau said as he pointed to the ramekins, and Jim blanched. “It’s a staple of South African cuisine, and it’s made from red wine and apricots. Our head cook is from Cape Town.”

Jim looked relieved, and Bones couldn’t help but give him a fond look in response. Jim was a picky eater, partially because of his allergies, something for which Bones never stopped teasing him.

Red wine had been poured in their glasses, and they also had water. Corbeau leaned forward to take a sip of wine when something on the back of his neck caught Bones’ eye. It protruded out of his skin; it was purple and had a blinking light. Bones narrowed his eyes as he watched Corbeau move back to his chair. 

Corbeau took a sip of wine and gave Bones a curious glance. “Is it not to your liking, Doctor McCoy?”

Bones blinked; everyone else had begun to eat, although Spock and Jim were now staring at him. “No it’s fine. I just…I’m still tired from the flight.” He then caught Jim’s eye and reached his hand up, massaging the back of his neck. Jim seemed to catch on, because his eyes widened before he adopted a more neutral expression. 

“I completely understand,” Corbeau said, and it almost seemed friendly. The tone was companionable, but there was nothing in his eyes.

The four men ate in silence for a time, and Bones continued to catch Jim’s eye during dinner.

“I am certain you will have nothing but good things to report,” Corbeau said after swallowing a bite of steak. 

Spock raised an eyebrow. “The Solar Storm is proving to be most interesting, although it does not bode well for Earth should it continue at its pace.”

Corbeau’s eyes clouded over. “Ah, Commander, there’s no need to be an alarmist. Everything is fine.”

Spock’s face became confused. “I am not being an alarmist, Doctor Corbeau; in fact, I am quoting _your_ research.”

Corbeau’s eyes clouded again, and Jim decided he had enough because he stood from the table and put the scientist into a chokehold. “Who are you?” Jim demanded as Corbeau gasped for air. “Who sent you?”

Corbeau’s eyes stayed murky as he attempted to speak. “Peter…Corbeau…”

Bones opened his med kit and pulled out a sedative hypo. “Hold him, Jim.” He injected the sedative into the doctor’s neck, and he passed out, slumping down onto the table. Bones adjusted him so he was lying with his face turned to the side on his plate. The purple thing in his neck blinked up at them, and the three of them stared down at it.

“What in the hell?” Jim said as he reached out and poked it with a finger.

“I do not recognize this technology,” Spock said as he crouched down to give it a closer look. “It is not Vulcan, Terran, Tellarite, Andorian, or even Klingon or Romulan. It is like nothing I have ever seen. I cannot read the markings on its side, as they are in a language with which I am not familiar.”

Bones leaned down, feeling around the base of it. “It’s embedded in his spine, connected to his brainstem I bet.”

Jim’s eyes filled with concern. “Can you remove it?” 

“Not here,” Bones answered honestly. “If I make a wrong move, I’ll paralyze him, and without surgical lighting I’d rather not risk it.” He pulled out his laser scalpel. “I can, however, break it beyond repair.”

Moving carefully so as to not cut into Doctor Corbeau, Bones used the scalpel and cut the light off the device. It immediately stopped glowing, and he pulled the piece off, throwing it across the room. He grabbed another hypospray, injecting it into the doctor’s neck; this one was to wake him, and Corbeau came back to consciousness.

“What happened?” He said as he sat up, looking at the rest of them. “Jim Kirk, what are you doing here?”

Jim sighed with relief, then grew serious. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Corbeau rubbed the back of his neck, making a face when his hand encountered the mind control device. “A man…a gloating man in red.” He then grew alarmed. “He’s got them! Everyone on this station! They all have these things in their necks like I do!”

“Well that explains that,” Bones said as he put his tools away. 

“He called himself Erik the Red,” Corbeau continued, “and he said he was from something called the Shi’ar Empire.”

Jim blinked, and Spock raised an eyebrow. “I have never heard of this ‘Shi’ar’,” Spock admitted.

“Me neither,” Bones and Jim said in unison.

“He also said something about an Emperor,” Corbeau explained. “He was prepping StarCore for his arrival.”

“An invasion?” Spock asked.

“Not on my watch,” Jim said. “We need to get to the communications hub, call Pike, and get a team here to prevent that from happening.” He walked over to the door. “We also need to free the crew. There must be some kind of device that this Erik the Red is using to control everyone. We need to get it from him and---“

The door slid open, revealing the crew of StarCore One. “Can we help?” they all said in unison.

Well, that was creepy. 

Without warning, the crew launched themselves at the four of them, attacking them with their fists. 

“Jesus,” Bones said as he dodged a punch to the face.

“We should not hurt them,” Spock said as he nerve-pinched an Andorian officer. “They are not aware of what they are doing. Erik the Red is obviously controlling them.”

Grabbing one woman’s arm, Bones threw her over his shoulder into two other people. “No shit, Spock,” he ground out as he took a defensive stance, whipping his elbow into a woman’s solar plexus. 

Jim punched one crewmember in the face so hard he broke his nose. He fell like an apple from a tree. “I don’t care about that, I care about us getting out of here! They’ll get over it.”

Slowly the four of them not under the mind control advanced on the door. Bruised and battered, none of them gave up. Soon enough, they stood outside. 

Jim typed into the room’s keypad. He then typed two more codes, and the room locks went red. “There,” he said. “I hacked the locks; they can’t get out and chase us anymore.”

“Not all of us,” a voice called from several meters away. They turned, and Bones couldn’t help but roll his eyes because for fuck’s sake.

Leslie stood with a phaser aimed at them, and his eyes were opaque and dark.

“Oh come on, we’ve been here for five fucking minutes,” Jim said, voicing Bones’ thoughts.

“Come with me, Captain,” Leslie said. “Shakari will make it painless.”

“I can vouch for the fact that you’re lying, son,” Corbeau said. 

Leslie’s eyes clouded again, but before he could speak a gritty voice came from the shadows. “How did you defeat my conditioning?”

“That’d be my fault,” Bones said. “Sorry, did I break your toy?”

The man stepped came into the light, and he wore the strangest looking outfit Bones had ever seen. It was all red, and the guy himself was huge. He held a control in his hand. “Come with me,” he said, “Or I turn StarCore into a smoldering pile of ash.”

Jim gave the guy a long look. “Ah. You must be Erik the Red. What do you want with us?”

“My name is Davan Shakari,” he said. “Since there is no help coming for you, I will tell you that my Emperor plans to use this station in order to stop the rebel traitor.”

“This is a _research_ station,” Corbeau spat. “We have no weapons!”

“Correction: you had no weapons, until I used your people to build some capable of destroying her shields,” Shakari said with a malicious smile. 

Bones didn’t know who “she” was, but he figured “she” must have done something pretty severe to warrant all of this. “And you think we’re just going to roll over and let you use Federation property to take out your rebel?”

“You can’t blow this place up,” Jim added. “You just admitted you need it. You’re bluffing, poorly might I add.”

“Perhaps I am, perhaps I’m not.” Shakari lifted the lid off his controller, hovering his thumb over a red button, and Bones had to admit he was afraid. The smirk on this guy’s face told him that Jim was wrong about him. “Would you care to find out?”


	4. Chapter Three

Lilandra paced behind her chair with a frown.

It would not be long before D’Ken sent someone after her. In fact, they were already pursued; she could feel it. Fortunately, she used her private star cruiser instead of a vessel belonging to the Imperial Fleet. D’Ken would not be able to track her.

Although…he wasn’t stupid, either.

The problem was that she could not go to any of the Shi’ar’s usual allies, as they would not trust her word over her brother’s. After all, he was the Majestor. His duty was ostensibly to the Empire above all else; they wouldn’t believe him to be the mad man that he was.

D’Ken was very adept at hiding his madness. Lilandra only knew what he was doing because of the confidence of Araki, the Imperial Sage.

It cost Araki a lot to tell her about D’Ken’s plans for the M’Kraan Crystal, and that he planned to take the place as the End of All That Is. If D’Ken found out, Araki would be put to death without any hesitation.

Lilandra could not worry about that, though. She had to focus on getting the Crystal to Starfleet. It was likely that they would not be able to destroy it, but they could hold it. If it became Federation property, D’Ken could not act without causing a galactic war.

A feeling, cold and hard like ice, filled her body. Was D’Ken insane enough to go to war with the Federation? Would he really risk it?

Lilandra suddenly doubted her plan. “How much longer?” she asked her navigator.

“We’ll be in the Sol system soon, Admiral,” he said. “We’re almost at the end of the stargate.”

Lilandra nodded. “Very well, then.”

She went back to pacing. It was entirely possible she was dooming the Federation with her actions. She felt sick, as if she was going to faint. Lilandra silently prayed to Sharra and K’ythri that she was wrong, and the Federation could help her.

\-----

Jim glared at Shakari, wishing more than anything that he had a phaser.

“Would you care to find out?” Shakari’s finger held just in the air above the button, and Jim noticed that Bones’ eyes were wide.

“Wait. Wait!” Jim said. “All right. You can take us wherever you want.”

Shakari smiled, and Jim scowled at him in response. “You seem to have more sense than the rest of your pathetic Starfleet,” he said snidely. “Come this way.”

He walked down the corridor, and Jim and the others followed. Leslie brought up the rear, keeping his phaser trained on them. Jim weighed the odds in his head; he needed to get Leslie’s phaser, get the detonator away from Shakari, and figure out some way to undo the mind control on the rest of the crew. 

Jim slowed down so that he was walking next to Leslie; without a word, he stopped. Leslie continued to walk before turning to him with blank eyes. Jim reached out and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could.

As Leslie doubled-over, Jim grabbed the phaser and trained it on Shakari. “Give me the detonator,” he said as he set it to full power.

Shakari stopped and turned to him. “You are just as stupid as everyone else on your backwater planet.”

“Give me the detonator,” Jim repeated. 

Shakari smiled and pushed the button. Jim fired, but Leslie stepped in front of him and caught the blast. There was nothing left of him but smoke, and Jim clenched his teeth with disgust.

Before he could process that, a rumble quaked throughout the station. 

“It is time for me to go,” Shakari said. “Oh well.” He pushed something on his wrist and disappeared. 

“That mother-fucking…” Jim bit off. 

“Worry about him later, for now we need to go, Jim,” Bones said as they began to run through the halls.

“Hang on,” Jim said as he stopped at a console. He made several keystrokes, then about four more. Then he entered a password. “There. I unlocked the dining room. Mind control or not, those people are Starfleet Officers. There’s no need for them to die with this station.”

“The shuttles are our only chance,” Corbeau said as he led them to the bay. An explosion rung out, clipping Spock on his right side; he immediately stopped, dropped, and rolled to get the flames out. 

“You all right?” Jim asked as he helped him up. 

Spock held his arm against his side. “I will live.”

“Good,” Jim said as they ran again towards the shuttle bay. Unfortunately, the explosions had hit the area, not enough to breech the hull, but enough that most of the shuttles sat damaged or on fire. “Shit! He mother-fucking planned this!”

Bones walked forward, stepping over a body. He stopped and moved the man’s arm off his face; it was Lieutenant McKenna. “Well, there goes our pilot.”

Corbeau looked around. “There’s one shuttle that’s still in flying shape, a special one we’ve been building to observe the solar storm up close. Its back compartment has an area that’s shielded from radiation, enabling us to get as close as we can without succumbing to radiation sickness.”

Jim ran up to the shuttle in question. “It’ll do.” They boarded it, and Jim and Peter sat at the controls. Jim booted up the system. “Engines are only at fifty percent capacity.”

“We’re still working on it,” Peter said as he checked some readings. “The auto-pilot isn’t functional, either.”

“That’s no big deal,” Jim said as he turned on the engines and gave the command to open the bay doors. The shuttle began to lift up into the air, and Jim pushed it forward. “We’ll just have to pray it holds out long enough for us to get to Earth.”

The shuttle moved out into space, and more explosions sounded behind them. A sad look crossed Corbeau’s features.

Bones used the dermal regen on Spock’s arm. “How long do you think?”

“About an…what the hell?” Jim said as a ship flew just ahead of them. A trail of energy leaked behind it like exhaust, and Jim stared at it open-mouthed. It didn’t look like any ship he had ever seen. “I wonder if that’s another one of those Shi’ar people…”

“Worry about that later,” Peter said. “We have a bigger problem. We don’t have the energy reserves to fly around that contrail. We have to fly through it, but the cockpit’s not shielded against radiation, _and_ we have no autopilot. Computer estimates it’ll take us thirty minutes to fly through that.”

“Then flying through it for thirty minutes is what I’ll do,” Jim said. “You three get in the back.”

“Now wait a minute, Jim,” Bones said. “There’s no reason for you to do that! I can fly it!”

Jim froze. “Are you crazy?”

“I had the training, just the same as you,” Bones said, and there was a quality in his voice Jim had never heard before. “You don’t need to die. I’ll do it.”

“There’s a suit in the back,” Peter said. “It might be enough to protect whoever pilots us for thirty minutes.”

“Neither of you should do it,” Spock countered. “Thanks to my Vulcan physiology, I am more resistant to radiation poisoning than any of you.”

“Not with that arm, you’re not,” Bones said. “It’s not done being healed, and a person can’t pilot this manually in your condition. The controls take both hands, Spock.” Bones smiled at them. “It’s _illogical_ for you to volunteer.”

Spock became silent. “As much as I wish otherwise, you have a point, Doctor McCoy.”

“He may have a point about you, but he’s wrong about me,” Jim snapped. “I’m doing it.”

“No you’re not,” Bones snapped right back. “There’s…you don’t need to die, Jim,” and again there was a softness in his voice that gave Jim pause.

“And I won’t,” Jim said. “I can do it, it’s fine! I’ll just…” The sound of a hypospray going off filled the cabin. Jim glared up at Bones. “You stubborn piece of…” his voiced trailed off as he passed out.

\-----

Davan Shakari flew through space in his starcraft, dreading what he was about to do.

“Shi’ar Emissary codename Erik the Red to his Excellency, Majestor D’Ken…” he said into his communications console. “Repeat, this is Erik the Red requesting an audience with Majestor D’Ken.”

The woman receiving his call nodded. “One moment.” The screen flickered, and the woman’s picture gave way to the image of a man in green and pink robe with a crown over his feathered hair. He had piercing red eyes.

_Shakari_ , he said. 

“Excellency,” Shakari began.

_I take it that you are calling because you have Lilandra?_

Shakari faltered. “Not…as of yet, Majestor.”

_Then I am confused_ , D’Ken said. _You were ordered not to contact me again until you had the crystal and my sister in your possession, lest Starfleet trace your call._

“I understand that, Excellency, but I was foiled by a Starfleet Captain named Kirk,” Shakari explained. “I had no choice but to destroy the research station, killing all of those on it.”

The hardness in D’Ken’s eyes and in the set of his jaw expressed his displeasure. _I want that crystal, Shakari. I will have it._ He smiled, and it cold and sharp like a blade. _Perhaps I need to come there in order to make certain you do not disappoint me a second time._

Shakari felt as though his very body had turned to ice. “That…is not necessary, Excellency. I am trailing her star cruiser as we speak.”

_Still though_ , D’Ken said. _I feel it would behoove me to have…insurance._

Shakari did not argue a second time.

_I shall send Gladiator ahead of me,_ D’Ken continued. _So you have back up._

“Of course,” Shakari said. “I am…honored that you would send the Praetor of the Imperial Guard.”

_As I stated, it is merely insurance_ , D’Ken said. _I will also have the cruiser prepped. I shall arrive soon._

With that, D’Ken terminated the connection, leaving Shakari to contemplate his words.

He knew how displeased the Emperor was, it was obvious in the way he volunteered Gladiator to come and help him. He wasn’t being nice, he was sending Gladiator to ensure he did not fail a second time. 

Shakari frowned; this was _his_ mission, the first worthwhile one he had been given since the Emperor decided to waste his talents on this backwater planet. Starfleet, the Federation…they weren’t even worth dealing with, let alone watching. 

If only there was some way to ensure he got to Lilandra and her ship first…

Well…if he reached out to Starfleet, referring to her only as a traitor…they were stupid enough that they would deny her asylum. 

Shakari changed his course and set it for the puny city Terrans called San Francisco. He alone would get Lilandra and the crystal, and be back in D’Ken’s favor once more.

\-----

Corbeau and Spock stared at Bones.

“Get him to the back,” Bones said. “Both of you go too. Here’s the dermal regen, Spock. Do you know how to use it?” Spock nodded. “Good.” He picked Jim up and pushed him at Spock. Bones paused and looked at Jim’s face. Not able to resist, he reached out a hand and touched him once on the cheek.

“Godspeed, McCoy,” Corbeau said as he helped Spock support Jim’s weight. “You’re a brave man.”

“No, I’m not,” Bones said as he took the controls. He was alone for a minute before he heard someone clear his throat. He looked up into Spock’s eyes, which were solemn. 

“I have brought you the suit,” Spock said, and Bones put it on as best he could without completely removing his hands from the shuttle controls. 

“You gonna try to talk me out of it?” Bones said as he finished. 

“It would be most illogical as you have already made up your mind,” Spock said. “I simply came, Leonard, to wish you luck.”

“That’s the first time you’ve ever called me that,” Bones said.

“It seems appropriate,” Spock replied. “I will leave now, as we are approaching the radiation.”

“Fix your arm in the compartment, Hobgoblin, and seal it tight,” Bones said. “It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”

Spock inclined his head in a nod and left. 

Bones was alone.

Sweat poured down his face as he flew the craft towards Earth. The energy contrail of that other ship was visible before him, and he grit his teeth. It would only take about thirty, maybe forty-five minutes. He could hold on for thirty minutes. The suit would hold out.

The cockpit got almost unbearably hot as it got closer to the radiation. Bones steered the shuttle, his grip not faltering. Thirty minutes; that’s all it would take to make sure the others were safe.

The shuttle entered the energy, and the cockpit sweltered. Bones growled a little in his throat as he flew the shuttle, straight and true. 

It didn’t take long before the pain started. 

“There’s the radiation poisoning,” Bones said, although no one else could hear him. His internal organs were on fire, and he wiped a hand over his head. His hair came off in clumps. “Shit,” he said. There were twenty more minutes left. He grit his teeth, tasting blood in his mouth and feeling it drip out of his nose. Internal bleeding, then, on top of the hair loss. His heart beat so fast it felt like it would explode, and his vision started to darken. It didn’t take long before he couldn’t see at all.

Blind, he continued to fly the shuttle, controlling it as best he could by feel. 

He had fifteen minutes left. 

He still had fifteen minutes left, and he was dying. 

“No,” Bones whispered as his hands withered and trembled. “No, I can’t…it can’t end like this…” He wanted to cry, to scream, but all he could do was softly call out one name. “Jim…someone, anyone, help…”

The shuttle continued on its path towards Earth, and Bones held it as steady as he could. He was too weak, though, and couldn’t control it. He couldn’t see; all he felt was tired.

Shit.

He didn’t even feel pain anymore. Bones was dying, and he still had another ten minutes to go. It wasn’t right; it wasn’t fair! Jim and the others would die, too, if he didn’t do something.

He had to hold on somehow.

A light filled the cockpit. Bones tried to turn towards it before he remembered he was blind. Terrific, he was hallucinating. His entire body felt distorted and frail; he could barely lift his arms.

Fuck that!

He couldn’t give up; too much depended on him, too much was at stake. Jim’s life, Spock’s…they depended on him. He needed to make it, he needed to be strong. He could do it. 

Five minutes left. 

_Be not afraid. No harm is meant 1,_ called a voice in his mind.

“Who?” Bones turned towards the voice. What he saw made his heart stop. 

It was the vague outline of a person made of living flame. 

“You!” Bones shrank back from it. “What are you? Why are you following me?”

_The sum and substance of life and hope and dreams_ , the being replied. _All is known to me. I have known you since your conception, Leonard McCoy, just as I have known the universe._

Bones stared at the creature, not knowing what to say.

_You called for aid. I heard. I came,_ it continued. _My consciousness, my form, my voice…all of these derive from you. They provide me an awareness._

“So you are just a hallucination,” Bones said. “I bet my Daddy’s happy to be proven right, wherever he is.”

The being’s shape strengthened; Bones saw it assume his form again. _You jest, yet what are visions except a means to see that which is beyond reality? You are human, Leonard McCoy. I am of creation._

“Why are you becoming me?” Bones demanded. “Why me at all?”

 

_Your body cannot be easily restored. For its own protection, your mind refuses to acknowledge the full extent of your injuries._

Dread washed over Bones in waves. “I’m not dying; I’m already dead. The only thing keeping me here is my stubborn nature,” he whispered. “What do you want of me?”

_You called, Child of Man. You called, and I, Father of Stars, answered._ The being looked exactly like Bones. _You must name your heart’s desire._

Bones shook his head. “And what, just like that I’ll get it? I’m not buying what you’re selling; nothing is that easy.”

_All things have their price._

Bones managed to stand, although he hunched over and his legs trembled. “What’s mine?”

_Does it matter?_

“Of course it does!” Bones said. “Why else would I ask?”

_I am glad._ The being reached out its hands. _Take my hands, Leonard McCoy, so that we may become one. Your humanity, my power…bonded by passion, tempered by love. The ultimate force, at last given means to express itself._

Without realizing it, Bones began to reach out his hands. He then jerked them back. “There’s a catch. There’s always a catch.”

_The fire I offer can burn as well as warm…destroy as well as heal…and it always consumes. The glory I offer is transcendent: likewise, the danger. The flames, once taken, can never be extinguished._

Bones stared at it; it was stunningly beautiful, possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It still had its hands reached out, and there was a smile on its face. 

Yet Bones was frightened.

“Suppose I’m not worthy,” Bones said, his voice shaking. “How can I accept your offer?”

_You would not have called me if you were unworthy,_ it replied. _You know the answer to that._ In the being’s hands, an image of Jim formed.

Bones reached out to it. “Oh, Jim…”

_Your heart’s desire,_ it repeated. _Death is the constant: the end to all burdens, all responsibilities. Life is the greatest of unknowns. Every moment contains risk and uncertainty, and perhaps peace can only truly be found in the grave. I may be salvation or damnation or both. Which now is your heart’s desire?_

No longer able to stand, Bones fell to his knees. “If it was just me…but…for Jim, I’d…there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.” He stared up at the creature. “And I’m selfish. I want to live.”

_All of these are possible, Leonard McCoy._

Bones reached out and took its hands in his own.

\-----

The second Jim came to he knew something was wrong. “Where’s Bones?” he asked in a groggy voice.

Next to him, Spock sat silent. So did Doctor Corbeau.

Jim remembered and sat straight up. “Fuck! Bones!” he shouted. The shuttle took a dip, and everyone flew up out of their seats. “Bones!” he shouted again as he undid his harness.

“Captain, what are you…”

“Leave it, Spock!” Jim stood and began to make his way through the compartment. The shuttle dipped a second and third time, and Jim lost his footing. “Shit.”

The shuttle angled downward, like it was descending. It was too steep, though, and Jim immediately knew something was wrong.

“Bones!” Jim ran as best he could to the special compartment’s door. He calculated how long he had been out; it was probably safe at that point. Jim punched the code into the compartment, and the door slid open. He ran from the shielded compartment to the door of the passenger bay. “Bones!”

The shuttle continued its rapid descent, and a dark pit formed in Jim’s stomach. They weren’t flying; they were _crashing_ , he realized, which could only mean one thing.

Bones was dead.

Fighting the urge to vomit, Jim blinked back sudden tears. 

Bones was dead.

Jim tried to open the door leading to the cockpit. He entered every code he knew, but none of them worked; the door had jammed. “Bones!” 

The shuttle lurched forward, almost vertical in the air. It impacted against an object, knocking Jim onto the floor. Before he could right himself, there was a sound of a bursting. Freezing water began to flood the shuttle. 

Bones had crashed them, and they were underwater.

Spock undid his harness and crawled through the water to Jim. “Jim, we need to get off this vessel.”

Jim sat up on his knees and tried to open the door again. He didn’t acknowledge Spock’s words, he kept typing into the keypad. A hand grabbed his wrist, and he gave Spock a blank expression.

“There is nothing more we can do for Doctor McCoy,” Spock said. “We must get out of this shuttle before we drown.”

Feeling the tears form in his eyes a second time, Jim shook his head. “I’m not leaving him! I’m not…” Spock began to pull him away from the door. “Spock, it’s a fucking order! I’m not leaving Bones! _Stand the fuck down_!” Spock ignored him and pulled; Jim lacked the strength to keep his hold on the door, and he cursed. “I swear I’ll court-martial you!”

Spock held Jim tight. “Jim, you are emotionally compromised. We need to get to the surface.”

At the words _emotionally compromised_ , Jim stopped struggling. He sagged in Spock’s arms, and he had to choke back a sob. “Bones…oh God, Bones,” he whispered.

“Mourn him when we escape,” Spock said, and his voice was kind. “We need to leave, Jim, _now_.”

Jim looked at the shuttle; the water was waist deep and rising. He scrubbed his hand down his face. “Okay,” was all he said.

Spock nodded as he let go of Jim. Together they waded from the door to one of the shuttle windows. They were all cracked from the impact of the crash. Doctor Corbeau kicked at one of them. 

“Hold your breath,” Corbeau said as his kick hit true to form. The window shattered, and more water rushed in. Jim, Spock, and Corbeau all held their breaths and propelled themselves through the open window out into the water. 

Jim swam as fast as he could, having not inhaled that much air. The surface came closer and closer with each stroke; before long, he broke out of the water, gasping for breath. Spock surfaced about a meter away from him, Corbeau following after. Jim saw the Golden Gate Bridge, and he realized they crashed into the San Francisco Bay.

“Bones!” Jim shouted through his teeth chattering, grief hitting him anew. The bile started to rise again in his throat, and he couldn’t see straight. 

He hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye.

Jim struggled to breathe as the pain struck him hot and heavy in his chest. Bones was gone. Bones, his best friend, his _everything_ was gone.

Spock swam over to him; he opened his mouth to speak when he became startled. He stared down into the water about fifteen meters away. Jim followed his gaze; it almost looked like there was a light under the water.

Wait a second. There _was_ a light under the water.

Jim treaded the bitter water as he saw it come closer and closer. It breached the surface, exploding into the air. It was a firebird, about 100 meters across, and it screeched as it flew into the sky. 

Jim would not have believed it had he not seen it with his own eyes.

In the middle of this firebird was a man clad in green and black. He had dark brown hair, and his eyes glowed white.

It was Bones.

Jim’s jaw dropped. Bones survived, and he was _flying_ like a superhero. What the hell happened to him?

“I am Phoenix,” Bones shouted, and his voice echoed throughout the air. 

“Fascinating,” Spock whispered.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the firebird faded away and died. Bones crumpled, falling at a rapid rate. “Help me, Jim,” he said, as he dropped towards the waves. 

Jim shook himself out of his stupor and swam towards him, though his limbs were sluggish to respond. “Bones!” he said. “Bones!” More of the flaming energy appeared underneath Bones; it cushioned his fall back into the water. Jim took a deep breath and dove after him. Bones had to be unconscious, because he didn’t move at all; he only sank deeper and deeper.

Jim kicked his legs as fast as he could; before long, he was in Bones’ reach. He grabbed Bones, putting one of his arms around his chest. He then paddled and kicked back up toward the surface. Just when the air in his lungs almost gave out, his head came up out of the water. Jim pulled Bones’ head free of the bay, holding his face in his hands.

Bones was deathly pale, and his lips trembled like he was in shock.

“Bones,” Jim said, trying to wake him. “Bones, come back to me.”

Bones didn’t wake. Jim held him close, as close as he could without hurting him. The jacket Bones wore was sodden and heavy, but Jim clung to him for dear life. 

Spock swam over to them with a frown. “We need to get Doctor McCoy to Starfleet General,” he said. He pulled out his communicator. “I will call for them to retrieve us.”

Jim nodded once; he looked back down at the man in his arms. Bones stirred, and Jim’s heart practically shattered from relief. “Jim?” he asked as he opened clear green eyes.

“It’s okay,” Jim said, and he stroked Bones’ wet hair. “It’s okay, Bones; Starfleet’s on the way. We’ll get you to the hospital.”

Bones tried to move, but Jim didn’t let him go. “No hospitals. I can’t…there’s no time…”

Jim gave Bones a weird look. “You need to be looked at: all the radiation...and this whole _Phoenix_ thing, which…what is _that_ about?”

Bones pushed Jim away, and Jim let him even though it felt like a loss. “I just told you there’s no time! I have to…” His arms slackened, like he was weakening. “The End of All That Is…I have to…” He sank back below the water; Jim caught him and held him tight.

“It’s okay, Bones,” Jim whispered in his ear. “It’s okay. We’ll get you looked at, and then we’ll do what you need.” He looked out across the bay; a Starfleet vessel headed straight for them. Hopefully Spock told them to include medical personnel. “I promise.”

Bones nodded as he rested his head on Jim’s shoulder. Jim stroked his hair again with a frown.

Whatever was going on, he would get to the bottom of it.


	5. Chapter Four

To say that a shitstorm was happening in Starfleet Headquarters would be an understatement of truly epic proportions.

StarCore had been destroyed, blown up somehow by someone or something. Pike didn’t know that there were any survivors, and he felt a void form where his stomach should be. 

He sent _Jim_ up there, along with his two senior most officers.

Around him, Starfleet personnel barked information to each other, but Pike couldn’t worry about that. He just had to have faith; Jim survived worse. He made it out. 

Jim had made it out.

Pike rubbed his hands together, and his palms were slick with sweat.

“Admiral, I’ve picked up a distress call requiring medical personnel,” a Lieutenant said to him, causing Pike to shake himself out of his thoughts. “It’s coming from the San Francisco Bay…it’s Commander Spock.”

“What?” Pike said, hope filling his heart.

“He says Captain Kirk is with him, along with Doctor Corbeau and Doctor McCoy,” the Lieutenant continued. “They need emergency medical transport.”

“Well then for Christ’s sake, dispatch it,” Pike said. 

“Right away, sir,” the Lieutenant said. “Starfleet General, this is Lieutenant Gunderson, requesting you dispatch an ambulance to the following coordinates…”

Pike tuned the Lieutenant out as the view screen switched to the San Francisco Bay. The four of them treaded water, and Jim held McCoy like his life depended on it. It didn’t take long for the medical shuttle to arrive, and Pike watched as they beamed into it. It turned and flew back to Starfleet General. “Thank God,” Pike said. Now to figure out what the hell happened on StarCore. “Any other survivors?”

“Not so far as we can tell, sir,” Lieutenant Davis said. “There are no reports of any other shuttles…wait.”

Pike looked at her curiously.

“Strike that,” the Lieutenant said. “A ship just entered Earth subspace. Don’t recognize it, though.”

The room’s view screen again switched, showing the picture of a large green colored ship shaped like a praying mantis’s head. 

“What the hell is that?” Pike said.

“I can tell you what it’s not,” Davis answered. “As in, it’s not Romulan or Klingon. Other than that, I’m just as clueless as you sir.”

“Get me a line to it,” Pike said. What was it doing here? It didn’t have permission to come into Earth’s space. What could it want?”

“Attempting to patch you through,” Davis said, and Pike put on a headset. “Connection established.”

“This is Admiral Pike of Starfleet Command,” Pike said into the mouthpiece. “Identify yourself.” Static came over the line briefly, followed by talking in a language Pike didn’t recognize. He glared down at Davis. “So what, is the universal translator on a break or something?”

“It’s on,” Davis said. “It just must not be in a Federation language.”

The ship must have done something on its end, because suddenly the language switched to Federation Standard. _This is Admiral Lilandra Neramani of the Shi’ar Imperial Fleet. I am requesting an audience with Starfleet, in addition to asylum on your planet. My crew and I are refugees escaping from a tyrant._

Pike furrowed his brows. “I’ve never heard of this Shi’ar.”

_That is because the Empire has hidden itself from your people,_ the voice continued. _Our throneworld, Chandilar, is located in what you refer to as the Delta Quadrant._

Well, if what she said were true, that would definitely explain it. The Delta Quadrant wasn’t really explored because even with Warp Drives it took years to travel to it.

As in decades.

“I find it hard to believe that you have the tech to come all this way quickly enough to outrun a tyrant,” Pike said, voicing his skepticism.

_We are very advanced_ , she answered. _If you grant me asylum, I would be more than willing to share our technology with your Federation. I believe we have some things your Starfleet could find beneficial._

Pike hesitated to answer her. It sounded like a standard _quid pro quo_ , but he had the feeling she was keeping something from him. Something about this whole set up didn’t sit right. Then again, she came all the way from the Delta quadrant, and she volunteered to give them access to advanced technology. While he was suspicious, Pike knew he should at least hear her out. 

“I’m going to send you a location,” Pike said as Davis input the coordinates for the Starfleet HQ transporter pad. “Beam down to them, and we’ll talk.”

_Very well, Admiral_. The connection was severed, and the line went dead. 

Pike took off the headset and began to leave. “Send Kirk orders to debrief here as soon as he’s able,” he said over his shoulder. “I need to see what this is about.”

“At once, sir,” Davis said as she patched a line through to Starfleet General. Pike dimly heard her ask to speak to Jim as he made his way out of the room and towards the transporter pad. It only took a few minutes, as it was a short walk, and Pike waited by the control.

“Incoming,” the ensign at the station reported.

The lights whirred, and Pike blinked at the sight before him.

The woman had to be seven feet tall, and her hair towered above her head in the shape of a helmet, or at least what looked like her hair did. Upon closer inspection, Pike realized it was actually black feathers. She had clear blue almond-shaped eyes and thick, dark lashes that curved around her face, ending in little star shapes on her cheeks. Skin-colored feathers protruded on her forearms, but she didn’t have full wings; it was like the remnants of them. She wore a black leotard made out of a strange material that almost looked like Terran latex, with thigh high stockings and black ankle boots made out of the same fabric. 

She was the most beautiful creature Pike had ever seen.

“Admiral Pike?” she said in slightly accented Standard. 

Pike swallowed, remembering himself. “Yes. Admiral Neramani?”

“Yes,” she said. “We ought to talk.”

Without another word, Pike gestured for her to follow him. She stepped off the transporter pad, and together they walked to his office.

His debriefing of Jim and the others could wait.

\-----

As always, Starfleet General teemed with activity, but Jim didn’t care about that as he sat next to a biobed in a private room.

Bones lay in the bed with his eyes closed, and Jim was quiet, not willing to risk waking him if he was asleep. Jim held Bones’ hand as he stared at him with concern. 

After the Starfleet paramedics grabbed them, Jim and Bones got separated while Jim underwent his own physical examination and treatment for hypothermia. He was given a set of scrubs to change into and finally cleared for duty; Spock and Doctor Corbeau were also given physicals and released.

Bones had been wheeled away, and Jim had only been able to watch him go.

As soon as he was done, Jim located him by hacking into the hospital’s computers. So now he sat in Bones’ room unable to do anything more than be patient.

His heart ached so much he thought it would splinter apart in his chest. The worst feeling he’d ever had was thinking Bones was dead. Jim considered that, and he absently noted an orderly telling him Pike wanted a debriefing. Eventually, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Without looking, he knew it was his First Officer.

“I spoke to Doctor Arisugawa about Doctor McCoy’s condition,” Spock said, and Jim listened but didn’t turn his head to face him. “There is evidence that he has suffered lethal radiation poisoning. However, he is healing from it at a rapid rate.”

“I didn’t know we had the tech for that,” Jim said. His eyes still didn’t leave Bones’ face.

Spock hesitated. “We do not.”

This made Jim look at Spock. “Wait, what?”

“There is no logical reason why the Doctor is still alive,” Spock continued. “By all accounts, he should have died on the shuttle from his injuries. However, something or someone is healing him.”

Jim turned his attention back to Bones. “Do you think this…Phoenix whatever has something to do with that?”

Spock shifted so that his hands were behind his back. “The tricorders apparently register a massive amount of energy, for lack of a better word, seeping off the Doctor. I am certain that this is not a coincidence.”

Jim opened his mouth to reply just as Bones’ eyes fluttered open. He made a small noise like a wounded animal. “Jim,” his voice croaked, and Jim stood and leaned over him.

“Bones, you’re awake,” Jim said, relief tangible in his voice. “Oh my God, you’re awake!”

“Obviously,” Bones said, although there was no heat behind the words. “Where am I?”

“Starfleet General,” Spock answered. “It is…good to see you awake, Doctor.”

Bones stiffened at Spock’s words and gave him a look. “How bad am I?”

“You died,” Jim said, and his voice came out hoarse as his heart ached like it did in the waters of the San Francisco Bay. “You died, but you came back.”

Something about this got through to Bones, because his shoulders stiffened. His mouth turned into a tight straight line. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“You seemed to when you flew out of the water,” Spock said. 

Bones’ eyes widened. “Flew? Me? You’re being ridiculous.”

“You did, Bones,” Jim said as he ran his thumb over Bones’ knuckles. Bones’ skin felt soft under his fingers. “Who, or what, is Phoenix?”

Bones sat back against the pillows. His eyes cast downward, but not enough that Jim couldn’t see the confusion warring with apprehension. “Am I Phoenix?”

“You did claim the identity before collapsing,” Spock replied.

Bones looked back up at them, although he focused on Jim. “I don’t feel right,” he admitted as he slid back down under the covers. 

Jim nodded. “I bet radiation poisoning will do that to a person,” he said, trying to make light of the situation. It came out wrong, though, and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

“No that’s…” Bones shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t feel well, but I also feel…I feel like I can…like I can reach out and touch the moon.” He raised his free hand up to his face and made a fist. “Like I could crush it with a thought.”

Spock’s right eyebrow rose up into his fringe, and Jim’s mouth opened in shock.

Bones’ hand was _glowing_.

Jim blinked before looking down at the hand he held; it was glowing too. The energy looked like fire; it was orange, red, yellow, and white, and pieces of it flickered out like flames. It didn’t burn though, it felt…good. Calming. 

The energy formed around Bones’ body, and his eyes glowed white. The expression on his face changed to one that was softer and less guarded.

“Bones?” Jim gripped his hand more tightly. “Bones, what’s wrong?”

“Leonard is only the house where I live, Jim,” Bones said, his voice echoing like it did before. 

No…not Bones. Not Bones saying it.

Jim dropped Bones’ hand. “Who are you?”

“I am born and consumed in blood and flame,” the thing controlling Bones said. “I am born, and I return; always returning, always coming back...”

Spock took a step forwards. “You are Phoenix.”

Images filled the room surrounding them, and both Spock and Jim started. The room darkened with a red sky. There were broken buildings and fire surrounding them, and Jim could smell ash in the air.

“What is this?” Jim said. “Where…?”

“It is not a place,” Phoenix answered. “It is how it feels to be the last hope and to know you will win against all the odds.”

Spock grabbed his temples and stumbled backwards; Jim gave him a concerned look. “I am fine, but the psychic energy emanating from the Doctor is overwhelming,” Spock said. “My mind feels…dazzled…”

“It is the wing of the Phoenix, touching your heart with flame2.”

Just like that, the energy dissipated into the air and the images faded. Bones’ eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut. 

“Bones!” Jim rushed back to his side. “Bones, are you okay?”

“Have to go,” Bones mumbled, and Jim was relieved to see that his eyes were green again. “Have to go…End of All That Is…have to go…”

Jim’s eyes widened, and he pursed his lips. “That’s the second time you mentioned that, the End of All That Is. What is that, Bones? Tell us, and we can get you out of here. We can _help_ you!”

Just then, an Asian woman in her fifties came into the room; she read information on a PADD. “Doctor McCoy,” she said, before realizing Jim and Spock were there. “I wasn’t aware they authorized you to have visitors,” she added.

“Captain James T. Kirk, _USS Enterprise_ ,” Jim said. “This is my First Officer, Commander Spock.”

She nodded her head at them. “Doctor Arisugawa. I need to examine my patient, if you please.” Spock hesitated but headed towards the door. Jim, however, didn’t budge. “That means both of you,” Doctor Arisugawa reiterated. 

Jim looked at the stripes on her uniform; she was a Commander like Spock. Good, he could pull rank if he had to. “I’m not going anywhere,” Jim said. “You can do your exam with me in the room. I’m staying.”

He must have had some expression on his face, because she backed down. “Just keep out of the way,” she grumbled as she pulled out a tricorder. Quietly and efficiently, she went to work. It only took a second, but the tricorder screamed before it shorted out completely. “What the…?”

Spock had the look on his face that meant he was dying of curiosity. Jim grabbed him and pulled him into a corner. “Do you think that…Phoenix thing is doing that?” Jim whispered.

“It would be a logical theory,” Spock admitted. He looked thoughtful before saying “There is an old story in Vulcan lore; it is about extreme psychic sensitivity.”

Curious, Jim crossed his arms over his chest. “How does that relate to Bones?”

 

“The lore refers to it as ‘The Manifestation of the Phoenix3,” Spock answered. 

Jim stared at him before looking back to Bones on the bed; Bones’ breathing was labored; his chest heaved up and down. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his skin looked clammy and pale. 

“I admit I am not as familiar with this legend as I am some others,” Spock continued, “However, I believe that Nyota is well-versed in it. If not, I can acquire the information from my father.”

Jim continued to stare at Bones. “Get her, and your dad too if necessary. I’m not resting until I know what the hell is going on.”

Spock inclined his head in a nod, and turned, flipping open his communicator to call his lover. 

Jim took his place back at Bones’ side; the doctor examined him the old-fashioned way, checking his pulse with two fingers pressed to the inside of his wrist. “Your heart rate’s way too high,” she proclaimed. “I think you’re dehydrated.” She made notes on her PADD before turning back to Bones. “I’m getting you an IV, just in case.”

Bones didn’t argue; he instead gave her a weak nod. 

The doctor looked down at him with something like fond exasperation. “You must be feeling awful. I’ve heard about you from the other doctors, or I should say I’ve heard about your mouth.” She then turned to Jim. “Doctor McCoy needs _rest_.”

Nodding his head, Jim said, “I get it. I’m just going to sit in here and make sure he’s okay.” 

Again, Jim thought his face had to look pitiful, because Doctor Arisugawa quirked up her lips in a smile. “Your devotion says a lot about you,” she said as she took her leave. 

Jim didn’t understand what she meant by that as he watched her go. It didn’t take long for him to focus on what was important; Jim sat by Bones’ beside, one of his hands held in his lap.

Jim also tried not to be frightened for him.

\-----

Nyota sat at a computer in her quarters, and she fought with the program she ran. Every time she started to clear out the static in the message Gioia gave her, the program would crash. Something wasn’t right about it, and it was incredibly frustrating.

Her communicator beeped, and she ignored it. She started the message over from the beginning, and the communicator beeped a second time. Whoever it was obviously couldn’t catch a hint, so Nyota flipped it open. “Lieutenant Uhura,” she said with a bit more venom than was necessary.

_This is Commander Spock_ , her lover’s voice came through the device. _Are you occupied?_

“Oh, Spock,” she said, then furrowed her brows. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”

_StarCore was sabotaged, and Doctor McCoy has been in an accident,_ Spock explained. _Nyota, if you can spare the time, I require your assistance with an urgent matter._

Nyota paused the message. The work she was doing for Gioia would have to wait. She registered his words, and her eyes widened. “Leonard was in an accident? Is he all right?”

There was a long pause. _His condition appears to be…stable. That is actually why I have called you._

Something came through over the line, like an announcement. “Are you at the hospital?”

_Yes, I am in the doctor’s room at Starfleet General. I myself am uninjured aside from some contusions from our crash._

Nyota breathed a loud sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

_The Captain is also unharmed_ , Spock said. _Nyota, a query; are you familiar with the Vulcan legend of the ‘Manifestation of the Phoenix’?_

Nyota thought; when she first started her romantic relationship with Spock, she did a lot of research on Vulcans and their culture. She studied dozens upon dozens of legends, and they all ran together for the most part.

She did remember this one in particular, however.

“Thousands of years ago,” Nyota began, “not too long after Surak, a Vulcan named T’pean manifested great psychic abilities, including telekinesis and telepathy that did not require physical contact. Firebirds began to appear in the sky, but T’pean died young, and they stopped.” She thought for a second. “I’m sorry, Spock, I don’t recall more than that.”

_I shall have to do more research, then,_ Spock said. _I appreciate your assistance in this matter._

Even though the tone of his voice told her he was sincere, Nyota frowned at not being able to help more. “Do you need anything? Do you need me to come to the hospital?”

_Now would not be a good time,_ Spock answered. _Doctor McCoy is asleep._

“I understand,” she said. “I’ll get back to what I was working on.”

_Thank you, Nyota_ , Spock said. _I will keep you apprised of his condition._ With that, the communication severed, leaving Nyota alone with her thoughts.

Why would Spock ask about a Vulcan legend in relation to Leonard? That didn’t make any sense.

Nyota contemplated calling him back before she decided against it. It sounded like he had a lot on his plate, so it was best to leave him to it. Besides, she had her own work cut out for her. She pushed play again on the screen, and once more the message filled the room.

Nyota frowned; the program was about to crash again.

Well, wait a second.

If she lowered the gain, and put it on a higher frequency…

Quickly, before the program went down, Nyota did both of those things. The static started dissipating, and the message came through more clearly.

_Now_ she was getting somewhere.

She caught pairs of words with skips, but if she listened to it enough she’d figure out what it said. Allowing herself a brief smile, Nyota grabbed an old-fashioned pen and paper and continued her work.

\-----

Jim sat with his knees tucked up under his chin as he watched Bones sleep. Spock left after calling Nyota to go research the Phoenix legend, leaving him functionally alone.

Someone cleared his throat behind him; he turned, and saw that Scotty stood in the doorway. “Can we come in?” Scotty asked in a whisper with a nod towards Bones. 

Jim rubbed his hand across his eyes. “We?”

Chekov peered around the doorway. “Yes. We heard about the crash,” he said. 

Ah, the good old Starfleet Gossip Machine. It never failed.

Jim smiled. “Yeah, come on in. He’s not doing much right now, but…”

“That’s fine,” Scotty said with a shrug. Together they stepped inside the room. “We just wanted to see for ourselves that you’re both all right. Spock told us you’d be here.”

“And we brought you a uniform,” Chekov added, holding up a backpack. “We went to your apartment.”

Jim looked confused. “How’d you get…?” Before he could finish his question, he saw that both of them looked cagey. “Never mind. I don’t need to know.” He took the bag from Chekov with a smile. “Thanks, guys. I’ll put this on later.”

Scotty took the other seat next to Jim as Chekov stood by the foot of Bones’ bed. “How is he?”

“He’s sleeping a lot,” Jim answered as he turned his gaze back to Bones. “They keep trying to run tests on him to figure out how he survived, but every time they get too close, their equipment shorts out.”

Chekov gave Jim a curious expression. “Sabotage?”

Jim nodded. “This Phoenix thing is doing it we’re pretty sure, yeah.”

Scotty and Chekov both blinked. “What Phoenix thing?” Scotty said, leaning towards Jim.

Jim hesitated to answer; it sounded so crazy, and he wasn’t sure anyone would believe him that hadn’t witnessed it. “There’s a thing, some kind of entity in Bones’ body. It calls itself Phoenix.”

Scotty raised an eyebrow, and Chekov looked even more confused than he did a second ago. “Is it hurting him?” Chekov asked.

“It better not be,” Jim said in a harsh voice. Bones stirred, and Jim stood, grasping his hand. “Hey Bones,” he said as he rubbed a circle across his knuckles.

“Jim,” Bones rasped. His skin looked better; he was less pale, and the circles under his eyes faded a bit. He still looked as weak as a kitten, though. “I need water.”

Jim nodded and smiled. “Of course, I’ll…”

Before he could move, a trail of flaming energy left Bones. His eyes turned white, and the flames poured the water on their own. The energy then brought the glass to Bones without spilling it, though it shook a little. Bones sat up, and the glass was placed in his free hand. He took a slow sip.

The other three looked at him with wide eyes.

Bones took another sip before realizing he was being stared at. “What?” he said somewhat testily.

“How did you do that?” Scotty asked. 

Bones shrugged. “If I think it,” he said as he got more comfortable. “I can do it.”

“But…” Chekov stared at the pitcher now. “You have never done anything like that before.”

His face shifting into an unreadable expression, Bones said, “Well, I…Phoenix…”

Jim stiffened. “Tell us about Phoenix.”

Bones sighed; his eyes turned white a second time, and the glass was set on the bedside table using more of that flaming energy. “I had to die to come back, Jim,” Bones said as he sighed a second time. “But…I don’t know how long I can stay4.”

The blood turned to ice in Jim’s body. “What does that mean?”

Bones sat up straighter in the bed; he tried to push himself out of it, but his arms shook. “I’m still so weak,” he said. “I have to get stronger…I have to stop the End of All That Is…”

“What is that?” Chekov’s eyes were wide circles. “The End of All That Is?”

Bones looked out through the windows and into the distance. “He’s coming. D’Ken is coming. Can’t you feel him?”

Jim narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about? Who is D’Ken?”

“I can feel him,” Bones continued as if he hadn’t heard Jim. “I can feel you too, all of you. I feel…” He tried to push himself up again. “I have to go.”

Jim grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down into the bed. “You need to tell us what’s going on.”

“I am,” Bones said as he covered Jim’s hands with his own. “I am telling you I need to go. D’Ken must be stopped, or it will be the End of All That Is! I’m the only one who can---“

“Bones,” Jim said. “Bones, you’ve been through an ordeal. You’re talking nonsense, and you probably shouldn’t be out of bed.”

Bones looked at Jim, and his eyes were sad. “You think I’m crazy.”

“No, I don’t,” Jim said. “I just think you need rest.”

“No you do, you all think I’m crazy,” Bones continued. “You’re not even aware of it, but you do, deep down inside.” He looked at Jim, and his eyes pierced Jim’s soul. “You…there’s lots of worry, and there’s something else…something strong and deep…”

Jim’s eyes widened. “Are…are you reading my mind?”

Bones shook his head. “I…I can feel you, I can feel _everything_ …Arisugawa’s writing a paper, and Scotty is thinking of schematics…” 

Scotty nodded. “I mean, I always am, so it’s not really a surprise,” he announced, and Chekov gave him a fond look.

“And you, Jim, you…there’s…” Bones trailed off. “It feels a lot like...”

Jim recoiled. He wasn’t even sure what Bones was going to say, but he knew he didn’t want him putting his thoughts and feelings on blast to Scotty and Chekov. “That’s enough,” he said.

“But it…that doesn’t make sense…”

“I said that’s enough,” Jim said as he pulled back from Bones. 

Bones looked up at him with hurt in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jim, it’s not on purpose. I’m still learning; I’m still getting stronger.” He closed his eyes. “There. I’m not in…I can’t feel you anymore.” 

Jim sighed; he hadn’t meant to treat Bones so harshly. “Sorry, Bones. I just don’t like it when people are in my head.”

Bones nodded before again turning to the window. “I still feel D’Ken. And he _is_ coming, Jim. We need to be ready.” He settled back against the pillows. “Me most of all.” His eyes closed. 

Scotty and Chekov looked at each other, then they looked back at Jim: the same Jim who stood not quite in touching range of Bones. After whispering to each other, Chekov turned to the captain. “We should go.”

Jim glanced at them. “Thanks for the clothes.” Chekov smiled, and Scotty waved.

“We’ll come back by tomorrow,” Scotty said as he clapped Jim on the shoulder. “Take care, Captain. You too, Doctor.”

They left, leaving Jim and Bones alone. Jim perched back on the edge of Bones’ bed as he watched him settle onto his side facing the window. His breathing evened out, and he slept.

Jim stared down at Bones’ profile, struck by how beautiful he was. Even as sick as he had to feel, he looked good, and Jim’s cheeks reddened. There was a sudden need within him to touch Bones and to be touched by Bones.

Jim swallowed, and his mouth went dry. He reached out and touched Bones’ face with the back of his hand. Jim thought about how wrecked he felt when he thought Bones was dead, and how relieved he’d been when he saw he was alive. He thought about how much his heart ached to see him so sick.

Oh, mother- _fucker_.

Jim covered his face with his hands, exhaling loudly behind them. He peaked out through his fingers to look at Bones’ face.

There was that longing to take his pain away and desire to hold him. 

Nausea sweeping over him, Jim swallowed again as he moved off the bed, trying to get some distance. He sat back down in his chair, once more tucking his knees up under his chin. He wrapped his arms around his legs, hugging himself.

He was in love with Bones, and he had no idea what to do about it.


	6. Chapter Five

“Water?” Pike asked as he gestured for Lilandra to take a seat in his office.

“No, thank you,” she said as she stood. 

Pike got himself a scotch. “Something stronger?”

Lilandra blinked at him for a second. “It might settle my nerves.” He poured two fingers in two glasses, and handed one to her. She took it with a grateful smile and drank. “This is quite good,” she said after swallowing. “What is it called?”

“It’s a type of Terran whiskey called Scotch,” he said with a smile of his own. “You have anything like it where you’re from?”

“No, we don’t,” Lilandra said as she took another sip. “We do imbibe, but this is different from what I usually partake.”

Pike took a sip of his own scotch. “So. The Shi’ar.”

Lilandra nodded, and she examined the room, the door in particular. She checked the exits, and Pike assumed it was in case she needed to escape. “We are based in what you call the Delta Quadrant, and have been unknown to you for some time. The Shi’ar Empire spans thousands of worlds, and we are older than societies such as the Vulcans.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Pike gave her a look that bade for her to continue.

She did. “I come from the Imperial Throneworld, Chandilar. Our people are humanoid, as you can tell. However, we are not descended from apes as you are. We are descended from birds.”

“The wings on your arms,” Pike said.

Lilandra nodded. “Having actual wings is considered undesirable; we refer to such people as genetic throwbacks. My elder sister, Deathbird, is one such person.”

“interesting name.” Pike took another long sip of scotch. He kept a close eye on her expression; it was open, not too guarded, but there was a look in her eyes that concerned him.

“It is the one she had given to her after her birth name was stripped away,” Lilandra explained. “She murdered our mother and younger sister, and the removal of her name, plus exile, was her punishment.”

“Fair enough,” Pike conceded. “Continue.”

“While the Shi’ar is mostly peaceful, much like your Federation we possess a strong military. This military is how we have amassed our empire.”

“Not all that dissimilar to the Romulans, then,” Pike mused.

Lilandra’s expression became thoughtful. “Yes and no. The Shi’ar have annexed many civilizations into our own; however, we also rely heavily on inter-galactic commerce and trade. We have several agreements with other empires such as the Skrulls and the Kree.”

More races Starfleet had never heard of. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“We are very prosperous; we are also incredibly advanced. Shi’ar ships are capable of opening stargates, or as Terrans would call them wormholes, through space-time that enables us to travel from one end of the galaxy to another in incredibly short periods. We also have faster than light speed communication and transportation, as well as incredibly sophisticated hologram technology and weapons.” 

Pike gave her a long look, and this time it wasn’t because she was gorgeous. This stargate tech could be a real boon for the Federation; even the Vulcans didn’t have anything like it. At warp, it would take Starfleet years to reach the Delta Quadrant. Not to mention the good that having an empire bigger than the Romulans on their side could do.

Lilandra spoke once more. “Our current ruler is D’Ken; he is both the Emperor and the Majestor of the Shi’ar.”

Pike nodded and the smile left his face. “The tyrant you need asylum from,” he said, getting down to business. 

“Yes,” Lilandra answered, and her posture changed. Her shoulders stiffened, and her eyes became afraid. “D’Ken is mad. He plans to use an artifact of my people to become ruler of all creation.”

“Must be some artifact,” Pike said. “And where is it?”

“It is on my ship,” Lilandra said, and Pike could tell it was the truth from the lack of hesitation in her voice. “I have brought it all the way here from Chandilar, hoping that you and your people can keep it from him.”

“And you sent a message to us that we’re still trying to decipher,” he said as he looked at her. 

“Yes, everything I am explaining to you was in that,” she said. “The M’Kraan Crystal must be safeguarded.”

Pike downed half his scotch in one sip. “The what?”

“The M’Kraan Crystal,” Lilandra repeated. “The End of All That Is. If D’Ken uses it, both the Shi’ar Empire and the Federation are condemned.”

Pike realized why he was so quick to believe Lilandra; she was absolutely terrified. She wasn’t outright shaking; to an untrained person, she would even appear calm. Pike was not an average person, though, and to him it was obvious by the set of her mouth and the lines around her eyes. 

There was a problem, though. “That’s not a lot for me to go on with the other admirals,” he admitted. “Do you have any evidence of D’Ken’s plot?”

Lilandra looked down at the floor. “The word of the Imperial Sage, Araki.”

Pike frowned. “Hearsay’s not worth a whole lot, unfortunately.”

“I also can vouch for the fact that D’Ken is power hungry,” Lilandra said.

“Again, that’s not a whole lot…” A beeping sounded throughout the room. It was probably Jim. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

“Of course,” Lilandra said, and she finally sat.

Pike pushed a button. “Admiral Pike.”

 _Sir, an emissary from the Shi’ar Empire is requesting to speak with you,_ Davis said through the communicator. _He says its urgent._

Lilandra’s eyes widened. “Do not take it.”

Pike looked at her curiously. “Patch it through, Lieutenant,” he said.

The message came through, and a man who seemed jovial enough spoke. _Admiral Pike, this is Shi’ar Emissary Davan Shakari._

At this, Lilandra’s mouth tightened into a taut line. Her eyes narrowed, and she spat, “Shakari. One of D’Ken’s _spies_.”

Pike raised an eyebrow. “I read you, Shakari. What can I do for you?”

 _It is my understanding that a traitor to the Empire is attempting to seek asylum on your planet,_ Shakari continued. _I am asking if it would be possible for her to be remanded into my custody instead._

Pike narrowed his eyes, giving Lilandra a long look. The look on her face was of barely controlled fury, and her posture was rigid.

_She stole the most sacred symbol of our people. She has turned against her Emperor and jeopardized the safety of the Empire in order start a galactic war._

“Lies!” Lilandra said as she stood. “I did no such thing! I came here to prevent The End of All That Is!”

“Wait a second,” Pike said. He held up a hand for her to be silent, and Lilandra gave him a pleading look.

_Admiral?_

“I’m still here, Shakari,” Pike said. “I’m with Lilandra now. How about you meet us at the Starfleet corrections facility, called Foucault?” He looked at Lilandra, who had raised an eyebrow. “The three of us can have a little chat.”

 _I would prefer to just take her into custody_. Shakari said, which also made Pike suspicious.

“If you’re telling the truth, then there’s no need to shy away from us just talking,” Pike continued. 

Shakari paused. _Very well, then. I shall beam down to your prison. Send me the coordinates._ With that, the line went dead.

“You cannot listen to him,” Lilandra pleaded. “He works for my mad brother. He is a liar and a spy. He is only telling you this so he can take ---“

Wait a minute. “Your brother is D’ken? The Emperor?” Pike raised an eyebrow as he cut her off. “Is there a reason you failed to mention that sooner?”

Lilandra’s anger faltered. “Why does that matter?”

“You tell me,” Pike answered. Either she was lying, or Shakari was. He wasn’t sure whom, but he didn’t know enough to take a side. He needed more evidence. “Come with me,” he said as he made his way out his office.

Lilandra followed him. “Please,” she continued. “All of creation depends on this…depends on _you_.”

Pike shrugged. “I’ll see what happens when I interview Shakari.”

Lilandra’s shoulders sagged. “Very well.”

They walked together to a hover car, and after conferring with Pike, the driver began the route to Foucault.

\----

Spock stood, still in his scrubs, in the middle of the Starfleet Academy library, reading a PADD that contained all of Vulcan lore and legend. Unfortunately, most of the information on the Phoenix was spotty at best. Many Vulcans apparently believed it to be insignificant, a child’s fable. 

There was one Vulcan, however, who had written a thorough paper about the Manifestation.

Scokk’s paper detailed what happened when T’pean manifested the Phoenix. It was, perhaps unsurprisingly, similar to what Doctor McCoy was experiencing. T’pean had been disoriented and unwell before adjusting to her newfound abilities. 

She not only manifested telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and greatly increased telepathy, but she was capable of reading psychic impressions from objects. She could feel a person touching something she was manipulating with her mind. She could not only read thoughts, but emotions so deep the person was not even aware they existed.

Spock wondered how she was not driven mad by the experience. Being a telepath whose power got triggered by physical contact was taxing enough some days; having to spend each waking moment with the thoughts of others intruding upon one’s consciousness had to be unspeakably painful.

No wonder the doctor was so sick. Humans, except in rare cases, did not have psychic abilities. The strain must have been tremendous. Starfleet trained those cadets who tested high for psychic sensitivity in how to use their gifts, but even one of them would have difficulty coping with awareness on such a scale.

The Phoenix was present in Earth legend as well. It was a bird, consumed by its own flames. When it would die, it would resurrect itself from its ashes. Terran folklore spoke of the Phoenix’s mystical properties. It was possible the Terran Phoenix was similar, if not the same, as the Vulcan one. It was undoubtedly a cosmic entity; it was logical to assume it had visited both civilizations, and visited again if the fact that McCoy had died and been brought back to life was anything to go by.

Spock needed to test the hypothesis that the doctor was experiencing a manifestation of the Phoenix of legend. With him needing to remain in the hospital due to his injuries, it would be tricky. 

Spock walked to the library counter and checked out the PADD. He took it with him back to the temporary quarters he shared with Nyota. It was a short walk, and before long he was entering the code to the door.

Nyota sat at their computer with earphones on as she scribbled notes.

Spock debated for a second before walking over and placing a hand on her neck. She jumped, and turned to him with wide eyes. “Oh, Spock, you scared me!” she admitted. “How is Leonard?”

“He is resting,” Spock said. “What are you doing?”

“It’s a project for Gioia,” Nyota said. “It’s a message that came from deep space. I’m trying to finish piecing it together.”

“Very well then. I shall leave you to it,” Spock said, and Nyota favored him with a grateful smile. She went back to concentrating on her work. Spock took the opportunity to change out of his scrubs into a uniform, and considered his options.

Logically, he should tell the Psi-Corps division of Starfleet and let them handle this. However, the doctor was so weak…it did not seem morally right to subject him to their rigid and impersonal tests.

But Spock could do the testing quietly in his hospital room.

An idea struck him, and he went into their kitchenette; these guest quarters were new and had not been used before them. Their silverware sat still packed in its chest. He grabbed it and made his way back over to Nyota. He stood in front of her and gestured for her to remove her earphones. “I am going to head back to the hospital. Would you like to join me?”

Nyota shook her head. “I would, but I really need to finish this. I’m on a strict timetable.”

“I understand,” Spock said.

“Give Leonard my love,” she said. He leaned down for a kiss, and she gave him one, 

“I shall,” Spock answered as he took the chest and made his way out of their quarters and back towards Starfleet General.

\-----

Carrying a large flowering cactus in his hands, Hikaru Sulu made his way through the sliding automatic doors of Starfleet General’s entrance to the information desk. “Hi,” he said to the woman who sat behind it. “I’m looking for Leonard McCoy. He’s a patient here.”

The woman nodded and touched her screen a few times, scrolling through the patient directory. “Third floor west, room 19.”

“Thanks,” he said as he headed in the direction of the west elevator. He pushed the display on the front, and when it arrived, he stepped inside. It was a short ride to the third floor, and Hikaru made his way to McCoy’s room with ease.

Knocking on the open door, he smiled at the captain. “Hey, Kirk.”

Kirk turned to look at him, and Hikaru got taken aback by how sad and worried he looked. “Oh. Hey, Sulu. Come on in,” he said in a low voice. 

Hikaru was about to ask what was going on, when he realized that McCoy was sleeping. “Oh, I can come back when…”

“It’s fine,” Kirk said. He reached his arms up and stretched, and he was in scrubs instead of regular clothing. “He’s been sleeping a lot, and I could use the conversation.”

“Fair enough,” Hikaru said as he sat the cactus down on the bedside table. 

Kirk gave him a curious look. “What’s that?”

“It’s for the Doc,” Hikaru said with a grin. “I figured it’d brighten up the room, and he can take it with him when we go back into space.”

Huffing out a laugh, Kirk shook his head. “That’s very thoughtful, but Bones has a black thumb.”

“Harsh,” Hikaru teased with a grin of his own. “And yeah, I know; he told me once that he figures plants are hard, but healing people is easy. This species is very hard to kill.”

Kirk finally smiled at this, and he looked at McCoy fondly. “I hope you’re right.”

Hikaru took the seat next to him and gave him a curious look. “What happened? All I heard was that there was a crash, but he doesn’t seem all that banged up.”

Kirk hesitated before speaking, and Hikaru raised an eyebrow at this. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though, because Kirk said, “He died. Something put him back together.”

Narrowing his eyes, Hikaru leaned forward. “What?”

Kirk hesitated a second time, and he sighed. “He had to pilot the shuttle through a massive amount of radiation. It…killed him, but he came back from it. Now there’s something inside of him calling itself Phoenix, and…” He trailed off, staring at McCoy with that same worry from before. “I don’t really know much else, to be honest. When he’s lucid, he keeps talking about some guy named D’Ken and The End of All That Is, but he doesn’t really explain.” 

Hikaru nodded, although he didn’t understand. Phoenix? Coming back from the dead? 

How was any of that possible?

Kirk’s hands clenched into fists. “I don’t know what’s happening to him; I don’t really understand much of anything that’s happened since the _Enterprise_ docked. I just have this feeling like what’s happening to Bones is somehow tied to what happened on StarCore. I can’t explain why I think that, but…well, it is what it is.”

Swallowing, Hikaru nodded a second time. He heard about StarCore getting blown up, but this didn’t make a lot of sense. What would some Phoenix thing have to do with it getting destroyed?

At this, McCoy awakened. He rolled over onto his back and sat up. “Jim?” he asked. 

Kirk went to his side. “Hey, sleepyhead. Sulu’s here.”

McCoy, who rubbed his eyes, looked at Hikaru, and Hikaru gave him a smile. “Hey, Doc.”

“Hey,” McCoy replied. An energy trail came off his body, grabbing a glass of water that sat on the table next to Hikaru’s cactus. He grabbed it out of the air and took a sip.

 _That_ was new.

“Um…” Hikaru said eloquently.

Kirk gave him a sheepish expression. “I left that part out. Bones now has powerful psychic abilities.”

Hikaru blinked. “So…you came back from the dead? And now you can do this stuff?” He didn’t know why, but something felt cold and hard in the pit of his stomach.

Why had he come back from the dead? How had he done so? No normal human could do that…not even the surgeons at Starfleet General could bring a person back. There is no possible way that McCoy should have been able to do that. So…why now?

Hikaru swallowed around a lump in his throat. 

And this Phoenix thing…had somehow not only brought McCoy back, but was inside him? And he had psychic powers? 

Hikaru knew about the PsiCorps division of Starfleet; everyone did, as all entering cadets were tested for telepathy and other such abilities when they came to the Academy. He had been secretly relieved when he scored in the average human range for the tests; the thought of having latent psychic powers scared Hikaru, and that fear came back to him as he looked at McCoy in his hospital bed.

It was perhaps not justified, but he felt it all the same. It wasn’t normal for a human to be able to do things like move objects with his mind. It was weird. Vulcan touch telepathy didn’t bother him, but give those powers to a human and Hikaru became uneasy.

It suddenly occurred to Hikaru what that cold, hard feeling was.

It was dread.

“That’s about the gist,” Kirk said, his lips twisting into a humorless smile. He turned his attention back to McCoy. “Who’s D’Ken?” he asked in a gentle voice.

“D’Ken is coming,” McCoy answered, and his hair started to blow in a wind that could not exist in the room.

Yeah, that was definitely dread Hikaru felt. He stared as the doctor’s eyes turned white. More of that energy formed around his body, culminating in a pair of flaming wings. McCoy’s arms rose up towards the ceiling.

“Bones!” Kirk exclaimed.

“Phoenix”, McCoy corrected him, “We are one.”

Hikaru jerked out of his chair, scooting to stand at the back of the room. He stared at the scene before him, unable to look away from it. He wanted to run, but his legs locked up, and he couldn’t move.

“Who is D’Ken, Phoenix?” Jim asked. “What is the End of All That Is?”

“D’Ken is a pretender. The End of All That Is, a destroyer.” Phoenix answered.

Kirk frowned. “That doesn’t give me a whole lot to go on. Can’t you speak plainly?”

“He is coming,” Phoenix said, ignoring the question. “He is coming, and we must be ready.”

Making an angry noise, Kirk grabbed McCoy’s shoulders. “Tell me what is going on! Tell me why you’re in his body!”

Phoenix looked at him with a curious expression. “Leonard is the house…”

“The house where you live, I get it!” Jim said, and Hikaru frowned at the tension in his words. “What are you? Are these words from the future? Tell me what’s going on!”

“It is not a place,” Phoenix said, again not really answering his questions. “He is coming, and only we can stop him.”

Hikaru watched as the captain’s shoulders tensed in frustration. He should do something, like help the captain. Instead, he stood and watched.  
“Just tell me straight what’s going on. Starfleet can help.”

“We are the Guardian,” Phoenix said, and it placed McCoy’s hands over the captain’s wrists. “There is much we must do alone.”

With that, the flames died and McCoy’s eyes went back to their usual green. He blinked up at Kirk for a second before pushing his hands away and trying to get out of the bed.

“I gotta go…” McCoy said. He managed to put his legs over the side, his bare feet resting against the floor. “I gotta stop him…” He tried to stand, but his legs gave out on him, and Kirk caught him, holding him tight in his arms.

“You’re still too weak to go anywhere,” Kirk said in a soft voice. “And you need to tell me what’s going on.”

Hikaru cleared his throat. “I’d kind of like to be let in on this, too.” He stood, still at the back of the room with his hands clasped together to hide their shaking.

“I need to find Lilandra,” McCoy said. “She has it. We have to keep it from D’Ken.”

“What is _it_?” Kirk and Hikaru asked in unison.

“The M’Kraan Crystal,” McCoy said. “The End of All That Is. D’Ken can’t get it. If he gets his hands on it…if he uses the power of the negative galaxy…the Federation is doomed. _Everywhere is doomed_.”

Hikaru raked a hand through his hair; even though the Doc explained things, it still didn’t make any sense. Who was D’Ken? Who was Lilandra? And what the hell was the M’Kraan Crystal? 

Judging from the look on his face, Kirk wasn’t doing much better. “Bones, we’ll help you,” he said, his voice soothing. “We’ll get you all the help you need, but we need more to go on. Starfleet won’t let us act without evidence.”

“Starfleet can’t do anything,” McCoy said. “Don’t you see? It’s up to me. Up to me and Phoenix, we’re the only ones who can stop him!” He again tried to stand, but Hikaru could see his legs quiver. “Damn it! I need to heal faster! I need---“

“It’s okay, Bones,” Kirk said. He helped him back into the bed. “It’s okay. You get better, and we’ll help you find this Lilandra person.”

McCoy was quiet, and there was determination in his eyes. “I may not have time,” McCoy finally said, and Hikaru’s body froze from the finality of it. “It may already be too late.”

\-----

At Foucault, Pike and Lilandra stepped out of the hover car and got shown to a private area used by parole officers. Pike nodded towards the chair, and Lilandra took it. Seconds later, a man beamed into the room. He wore all red and was even taller than Lilandra.

“Admiral Pike,” he said, and Pike narrowed his eyes. His words oozed with a false sincerity that did not escape his notice. “I see you do, in fact, have the traitor in your custody.”

“If anyone is betraying the Empire, it is my brother,” Lilandra said. “You would doom us all to curry his favor.”

Shakari smiled; it didn’t reach his eyes, and yeah, Pike didn’t like him. “Of course you would say that. You can’t have Starfleet figure out that you tried to stage a coup and take over the Empire, can you Princess?”

“She staged a coup?” Pike asked.

“Unsuccessfully,” Shakari answered. “She did not have much support. To escape her punishment, she stole the M’Kraan Crystal and came here to plead for asylum.”

“I did no such thing, Shakari!” Lilandra turned to Pike, and her eyes were desperate. “You must believe me, Admiral. If you give him the crystal, all is lost!”

Pike looked at Shakari, before looking back to Lilandra. It was his word versus hers. “Do you have proof, Shakari?” he said. “I can’t get Starfleet to act unless I have evidence.”

Shakari pulled out a cube, and images passed through it of Lilandra stealing the M’Kraan Crystal. “I have been sent this by his Excellency himself. If you like, I can get him on my communicator, and he can corroborate my story.”

Lilandra went deathly pale at his words, but Pike wasn’t stupid. All the video proved was that Lilandra stole the crystal, it didn’t say anything about her staging a coup. If Lilandra were telling the truth, the emperor would have every reason to lie. Pike couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being honest, and while his gut had served him in the past, this could become ugly if he pissed off an entire galactic empire.

“Excuse me for a minute,” he said, stepping out of the room with his communicator. “Get me Gioia,” he said into it, turning to face the window. Shakari leaned in close and said something to Lilandra, who did not respond, choosing instead to glare at him. 

_Commander Gioia_.

“Gioia? It’s Pike. You got that message yet?”

_Negative, Admiral, but I have Lieutenant Uhura assisting me with it._

“Timetable just got moved up. I need it five minutes ago. Pike out.” He disconnected the call and looked back into the room. Shakari continued to smirk at Lilandra, who did everything in her power to ignore him.

If he called the Emperor, and he corroborated the story, Pike would have no choice but to remand Lilandra into Shakari’s custody. The evidence lacked for him to believe her over Shakari, and he knew the rest of the admiralty would make him turn her in.

Still though, Pike couldn’t help but feel like that was the wrong call.

He was about to head back into the room when a crash rocked the front of the prison. Pike took a cautious step into the corridor, and what he saw made him freeze where he stood.

A large man with purple skin and a Mohawk in a red cape and a skintight suit had punched a hole in the front of Foucault. The guards fired their phasers at him, and he shrugged them off. He would disappear, then reappear in front of them, knocking them cold and then repeat the process.

Pike couldn’t tell if he was teleporting or if he could just move that fast.

Without a word, Pike turned and ran back into the room. “We need to go,” he said as he reached out a hand to Lilandra.

She took it with a baffled expression, and Shakari stared at them. “You are not taking her anywhere without me,” Shakari said as he followed them. Before they could get anywhere, the purple skinned man appeared in front of them, hovering in the air.

“Shakari, you have displeased the Emperor,” he said, and Shakari winced.

“I…it is an honor, Gladiator, to serve with you, the Praetor of the Imperial Guard,” Shakari said.

“He will be here soon,” the man, Gladiator, continued as if he hadn’t heard Shakari speak. “Why is the Crystal not ready?”

“Gladiator,” Lilandra said, “You are a warrior of honor. Why do you serve a mad man like my brother?”

Gladiator hesitated before saying, “Princess, I serve the Royal Throne of the Shi’ar Empire. Your brother, D’Ken, sits on that throne.”

“Now just a minute,” Pike said. “You can’t take anyone. These people are in Starfleet custody. Your ‘Emperor’ can go through the proper channels to get them or---“

Gladiator cut him off by inhaling, then exhaling. The force of the wind was so strong that all of them fell onto the ground. Gladiator picked Lilandra up and carried her out of the building.

“Gladiator, no!” she screamed. “For the sake of the galaxy, no!”

Pike stood and took off after them, but Shakari got in his way.

“Nothing personal,” Shakari said, and now Pike knew he was a liar. “But my Emperor has given these orders. They are to be followed or else your Federation will die.”

As Pike tried to get around the Shi’ar man, there was only one thought in his mind.

 _God damn it_.

\-----

Nyota admired her handiwork; the message was done, and she wiped some sweat off her forehead. Now that she finished transcribing it, she had a moment to actually read what it said.

Her eyes widened; this was…this was big, and bad if it was true. 

She read it over a second time. 

Then she read it out loud.

“My name is Lilandra Neramani; I am from the Shi’ar Empire in the Delta Quadrant,” she said. “My brother, the Emperor D’Ken, plans to destroy the known universe using the M’Kraan Crystal. He will trigger the End of All That Is, and both your Federation and the Shi’ar Empire will be doomed. I am requesting asylum on your planet, along with your assistance in keeping D’Ken from the M’Kraan Crystal.”

Nyota stood from her chair.

She should have called Spock or Jim, but if this was true…if the whole galaxy was at stake, there might not be anything they could do. They would have to navigate red tape in order to get people to listen. 

It was obvious that they didn’t posses that kind of time.

Nyota went through the names of all the admiralty in her head to try to figure out who would most likely listen to her. 

_Pike_.

She flipped open her communicator. “Lieutenant Uhura to Admiral Pike’s office.”

The line connected, and Pike’s assistant answered. _Admiral Pike’s office, Lieutenant Nooner here._

“Lieutenant, I need to see the Admiral immediately.”

There was a pause. _The Admiral stepped out a bit ago. You can reach him on his private communicator._

Nyota hesitated; this was sensitive information. It wasn’t a good idea to blurt it out in case the line wasn’t secure. “Can you tell me where he went? I can just meet up with him.”

 _He’s at Foucault_ , the Lieutenant answered. _He hasn’t been there long, you should still be able to catch him. Was there anything else, Lieutenant?_

“No, thank you, that’s all I needed,” Nyota said. “Uhura out.”

All right so, new plan; she would go to Foucault.


	7. Chapter Six

“Captain?” Spock said as he entered Bones’ hospital room. 

Jim turned to look at him; Spock carried a wooden chest under one arm5. “Hey Spock.”

The Vulcan nodded to him before looking at Bones. “Doctor McCoy.”

“Hobgoblin,” Bones said with a smile. Something crossed his face, and he turned more serious. “You’re not here on a social call.”

Spock blinked twice before replying with, “I am afraid not. The tricorders are unable to explain what exactly the Phoenix entity is doing to you. I have devised another method to test your newfound abilities.”

Bones sighed, and Jim felt sorry for him. It had to be annoying, being treated like a rat in a maze by a friend. “I’m not turning evil, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I did not believe that to be a concern,” Spock continued, and Jim turned his gaze back to Bones. “I simply wish to see how you are handling your newfound powers.”

Bones sighed a second time and rested back against the pillows. “It’s like…I see more than you do, but not clearly. It kind of…it’s like it bleeds together, like synesthesia. All of my senses are tied together somehow, and…” he trailed off. “You both think I’m crazy.”

There was a long pause.

“I think what you’re saying makes as much sense as everything else you’ve been talking about,” Jim said, smiling at Bones to reassure him.

“It is logical that hosting an entity such as Phoenix would augment your perceptions,” Spock added. “Resurrecting yourself, and the visions you have shown us, should not be possible.”

“If I think it, I can do it,” Bones said. “But right now, I get so tired.”

Jim took his hand in his. “It’s okay, Bones. We’ll do what Spock says, and then you can rest more. Promise.”

“Fine, fine,” Bones groused. Spock set the chest down on the foot of the bed and opened it; inside it was a set of fine silverware. Bones rolled his eyes, and within seconds, the silverware lifted out of the case and into the air. “This is novice shit.”

Jim looked up as the knives all turned in 360-degree circles a foot above his head. The forks and spoons circled around Spock.

“Fascinating,” Spock said. “There are dozens of moving parts, yet you are not taxed by this. Even the Starfleet officers who tested high on the psychic sensitivity examinations would have difficulty performing this task.”

Bones shrugged, although he did start to look a little fatigued. “I actually tested pretty high on them.”

Raising an eyebrow, Spock looked at him with a curious expression. “But you are not…”

“I refused the training,” Bones continued as he made the knives swordfight each other. “I’m a doctor, not a fortune teller. I told them where they could shove it.”

“He actually used those words, too,” Jim said as he watched the spoons form the shape of a star. 

“It’s in my medical file, but that’s classified except to Geoff,” Bones added. “Well, and Arisugawa, I suppose.”

“Your sensitivity would perhaps explain why the Phoenix has chosen you as its host,” Spock said. 

“That’s not why,” Bones said, but he didn’t elaborate. He made the silverware spell the words _I’m Bored_. “Is this all, Spock?”

“Wait, why did the Phoenix choose you?” Jim asked. 

Bones didn’t answer, though. “Are we done?” he asked a second time.

“Not quite,” Spock said as he reached toward a fork. “Tell me, Doctor, can you feel this?” He pressed a finger against the metal.

Bones sat straighter and furrowed his brows. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

Jim looked at Bones and then back to Spock. “He can feel you touching it?”

“I can feel your skin, and you really need to moisturize, Spock,” Bones said. “And your pulse, I can feel your pulse through the metal.” He looked out the window. “I can see your fingerprints.”

Spock let go of the fork. “Doctor, the Vulcans have a legend about psychic sensitivity this extreme. It is called the Manifestation of the Phoenix…”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Bones said through grit teeth, and Jim patted his hand to soothe him.

“There was a previous Phoenix manifestation on Vulcan thousands of years ago,” Spock continued. “However, the Legend does not specify anything about The End of All That Is.” He folded his hands behind his back, and he sounded unsure. “Tell us about the End of All That Is.”

“Oh I know that now,” Jim said. “It’s something called an M’Kraan Crystal.”

“Lilandra has it,” Bones said, again looking out the window at the sky. “D’Ken is coming for it. We can’t…” Something stopped Bones in midsentence. The room was silent, and then he turned back to them with wide eyes. “Lilandra’s in danger!”

The silverware dropped, raining down on Spock and Jim’s heads. Unable to help himself, Jim dropped to the floor with his head bowed as he covered the back of his neck with his hands. Forks and spoons bounced off his back, and a knife dropped right between his fingers, which he threw on the ground. It stopped, and Jim raised his head to look at Bones.

“I have to go _now_ ,” Bones said, and he got out of the bed. “I have to go to Foucault. They’ve got her, and D’Ken is almost here!”

Jim stood. “You need to rest, Bones, you’re still not…”

Energy bled off Bones, and flames licked at his hair. “Phoenix must go,” he said as his eyes turned white. The hospital gown he wore transformed into clothing and flaming wings formed on his back. He lifted up into the air; his body also turned to flame, and he shifted into the shape of a firebird. It reared its head back and screeched. The windows shattered, and it flew out over the water.

“Bones!” Jim screamed as he rushed to the window, Spock right on his heels. “Bones! Come back!”

Too far gone to hear him, Bones didn’t return or even so much as look back.

Without hesitation, Jim grabbed the knapsack Chekov brought him and ran into the bathroom.

“Captain, what are you…”

“He’s going to Foucault,” Jim said as he pulled the door closed. He changed out of the scrubs into his uniform. “He’s going to Foucault, and we’re following him.”

Seeing that Chekov thought to put in a communicator, Jim grabbed it and flipped it open as he ran from the bathroom out the room and down the hall. He could hear Spock running behind him. 

“Kirk to Sulu,” he said into it. “Get the others and meet me at Starfleet General. It’s a priority Alpha situation.”

\-----

Nyota raced up to the front of Foucault just in time to see a large man with purple skin and a Mohawk carry out a woman who could only be Lilandra. A man in all red held Admiral Pike back, and as Nyota got closer she realized that he was arguing with the Mohawked man. 

“I have Lilandra,” the man in red shouted, desperate.

“But you do not have the crystal,” the purple man proclaimed. “You were ordered to retrieve both. You have failed the Majestor, Shakari.”

Nyota grabbed the phaser that was slung on her hip. She aimed at the purple man. “Stop where you are.”

The man looked at her, not letting go of Lilandra. “You dare threaten the Praetor of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard?”

“Gladiator, stop!” Lilandra said as she struggled to get out of his grasp. He looked to be barely holding her, and yet she could not free herself.

Nyota wondered what she had gotten into, but her stance didn’t waver as she kept the phaser aimed at Gladiator’s chest. “I’ll ask you again to stop,” she said. 

Letting go of Lilandra, Gladiator disappeared, suddenly reappearing right in front of Nyota. She gasped as he reached out and grabbed her phaser, crushing it in his fist. Nyota’s eyes widened as she took an involuntary step backwards. Gladiator’s eyes glowed red as he stared down at her, and Nyota closed her eyes, steeling herself against whatever was to come. 

A loud screeching filed the air, and a bright light shone on her face. She opened her eyes, and saw in the sky a great firebird. 

In the middle of the firebird, amazingly enough, was Leonard.

“I don’t believe it,” Pike said as he shielded his eyes. 

“Stop,” Leonard said, his eyes glowing white. “Lilandra is under my protection.”

“The Phoenix,” Lilandra said in awe. 

Gladiator flew up from the ground, facing Leonard. “Stand aside, creature. I have the orders of Majestor D’Ken.”

Leonard regarded Gladiator before saying, “Your master is unworthy; the judgment of the Phoenix burns through his deception. If you would serve he who is a pretender, then you shall share his fate.”

Stunned, Nyota watched as Gladiator’s eyes turned red, firing beams at Leonard. They had no effect, however, and instead just dissipated into the ether. Gladiator inhaled sharply, and blew a large gust of wind at Leonard. This, too, had no effect. Making a disgruntled sound, Gladiator reared black and flew at Leonard, punching him. One of the firebird’s flaming talons reached out and grabbed Gladiator, and he cried out in pain as he tried to free himself. 

“You may survive,” Leonard said, “to warn your master that the Guardian of the Crystal is watching.”

With that, Leonard reached an arm back, and the talon followed his movements. He then hurled Gladiator into the sky. Nyota watched Gladiator turn first into a small dot and then become invisible to the naked eye. 

He was gone.

Nyota turned, and Leonard descended from the air. He stood before falling to his knees. 

“You are the Guardian of the Crystal?” Lilandra asked, and the red man shook where he stood.

“Yes,” Leonard answered, and the firebird faded into the sky.

“You are the Phoenix of legend,” Lilandra continued, and she sounded so relieved it moved Nyota almost to tears. “You can help me stop my mad brother!”

Leonard looked up at Lilandra, and his eyes were no longer white. “He is here.”

Lilandra’s eyes widened, and Shakari ran. 

Pike walked over to them with a frown. “Who is here?” The admiral demanded. “And what the hell is going on with you, McCoy? What was that just now?”

“D’Ken is here,” Leonard repeated, and it sounded foreboding. “He is here, and he is searching for the crystal.”

“It is on my ship,” Lilandra said, and she reached down to help Leonard up. He took her hands gratefully and stood. Nyota realized how tall Lilandra was, as Leonard had to look up at her. “I have hidden it, but who knows how long that will last.”

Leonard nodded and looked off into the sky. “Gladiator will tell him about me. I will do everything I can, but I’m still…” He grimaced and let go of Lilandra’s hands to clutch his sides. “I’m still healing. I’m not quite strong enough.”

Nyota walked over to him. “You should be in the hospital,” she said, and Leonard looked at her with a frown.

“D’Ken is here,” Leonard answered. “There’s no more time; we can’t afford to wait until my body is ready.”

“D’Ken, the Majestor of the Shi’ar,” Nyota said. 

Pike and Lilandra gave Nyota looks; Pike’s was startled, and Lilandra’s was grateful. “You deciphered my message,” Lilandra said with a smile.

“Yes, Princess, I am only sorry that it took me so long to do so,” Nyota replied. She turned to Pike. “Lilandra’s older brother is the Majestor and Emperor of the Shi’ar Empire. He plans to use the M’Kraan Crystal to take over the galaxy.”

Pike put his hands on his hips. “So I’ve been told.”

“It is the nexus of all realities,” Lilandra said, trying to explain. 

Pike rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. “That doesn’t tell me much more than I already knew.”

Lilandra continued. “If the Crystal’s power is harnessed, it will cause the End of All That Is.”

Leonard took a step away from Lilandra, still holding himself.

Nyota frowned. “Leonard…”

“No, I’ll be fine.” He then flew up into the sky. There was no firebird this time, but it didn’t make it any less startling. Leonard hovered about forty meters in the air, his arms outstretched and his eyes closed.

Nyota continued to watch him; she thought back to her earlier conversation with Spock, about the Phoenix of Vulcan legend. The legend was true, and the Phoenix now inhabited her friend’s body. It was a lot to take in on top of everything else.

Pike let out a frustrated sound. “I have no idea what the hell is going on,” he grumbled as a hover car pulled up. Within seconds, Jim, Spock, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov tumbled out of it with phasers and in their uniforms.

“Bones!” Jim shouted; before he could move further, Nyota stood in his path.

“He’s fine,” she said as reassuringly as she could. “The best I can tell, he’s looking for something.” 

Jim nodded, staring up at his friend. He walked over to under where Leonard flew. “Bones.”

Leonard’s eyes opened, and he looked down at Jim. He descended, and Jim immediately pulled him into an embrace.

“It is good that you’re here,” Leonard told him, and Nyota noticed he sounded strange. Not quite distant, but there was quality to his tone that bothered her. “And you’ve brought the others.”

“Tell me what’s happening,” Jim said as he pulled back to look him in the eye. His voice shook with relief. “Tell us what we can do.”

“There’s a lot I don’t know,” Leonard continued. “And there’s more I must do alone.” Nyota walked up to them, and she realized all the others had followed suit. Leonard turned away from Jim and faced them. “In our hands lies the fate of a million worlds…the very destiny of all creation…”

Nyota looked at her friends; Chekov’s eyes sparkled and his grin was bright, Scotty raised both of his eyebrows, and his eyes too sparkled, Spock had an eyebrow raised with his hands clasped behind his back, Hikaru’s eyes were filled with fear as he nervously cracked his knuckles, and Jim couldn’t take his eyes off Leonard.

“It is time to go,” Leonard proclaimed as once more he rose into the air. A firebird appeared, wrapping its wings around Nyota, her friends, and Lilandra. She jerked back, expecting the flames to burn. Instead they felt warm and gentle; she relaxed, letting them caress her skin.

The Phoenix shrieked as it lifted itself – and its passengers – into the sky.

With that, they were gone.

\-----

The Phoenix dissipated inside an alien ship. An incredibly alien ship, Jim noticed as he took in his surroundings. He’d never seen anything like it before, and judging from the way Scotty and Chekov salivated, they hadn’t either.

“Yikes,” Scotty said as he swayed a little. “I honestly have no idea how you have a problem with the transporter, but you’re fine with this, McCoy.”

Bones floated down from midair, doubling-over once he landed. Jim pulled him close. “No, I’m all right,” Bones said as he collected himself. “I’m fine…” He pulled his arm free of Jim’s grasp.

Jim reluctantly let him go. “Sure, Bones.” 

Lilandra walked over to a stasis field; inside it was a faceted pink crystal, about a meter across. “We have the crystal secured, and with the Phoenix guarding it, my brother will not be able to use the negative galaxy.”

“Excuse me,” Sulu said, and his voice shook. “But…everything that’s been going on has been for _that_?”

The look on Scotty, Chekov, and Sulu’s faces could only be described as unimpressed. Jim placed his hands on his hips, as he was sure his own face didn’t look any better. 

Raising an eyebrow, Lilandra looked at the helmsman. “What were you expecting?”

“Something not pink,” Jim said. “I mean, this thing supposedly can kill us all, but it’s the least threatening color ever created.” Nyota made the noise she made when Jim fucked up a diplomatic mission, causing Jim to raise his hands as a sign of surrender. “I mean no disrespect,” Jim added. “I just…well…”

“The crystal’s faceted configuration allows for unlimited storage capacity,” Spock explained. “There is no limit to what can go inside it, particularly not refracted ambient energy.”

“Precisely,” Lilandra added with an arched eyebrow, and Jim coughed.

“Sorry,” he said. “We’re getting off on the wrong foot. Captain James T. Kirk, _USS Enterprise_.” He then gestured to his crew. “Commander Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, Lieutenant Sulu, Ensign Chekov, and Engineer Scott.” He then looked at Bones, who was now sitting in a chair. “Something tells me you know my Chief Medical Officer, Doctor McCoy.”

Lilandra looked at Bones with a curious expression, but Bones didn’t notice. She then turned her attention back to Jim.

“Admiral Lilandra Neramani of the Shi’ar Imperial Fleet,” she said as Jim extended his hand. It only took her a second to shake it. “The Majestor, D’Ken, is my brother.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Jim said, happy to have some questions answered. “What’s D’Ken want with your crystal?”

“My brother wishes to harness its power in order to extend his dominion over not just the Shi’ar Empire, but all of creation,” Lilandra explained, and Jim was suddenly struck by how beautiful she was. There was strength and likewise a fear radiating off of her that also did not escape his notice. “My brother is a mad man. Power has become the only thing he understands, and he would doom us all to acquire more of it.”

“So the name of the game is keeping D’Ken away from it,” Jim said. “We can take it. Starfleet, I mean.”

Lilandra’s eyes turned sad. “My brother has the entire Imperial fleet at his disposal, in addition to the members of the Imperial Guard. While your organization may hold it for a time, I am afraid D’Ken would cause a war to get it back.”

“Which is where I come in,” Bones said, standing from the chair. Jim’s heart swelled, and his stomach dipped at the sight. “I will keep him from taking it. You have my word.” 

Lilandra nodded. “We must move quickly if we are to safeguard the crystal.”

Before Bones could agree, he got a faraway look in his eyes. “They’re coming…”

Jim stiffened, and Lilandra’s face tightened. “D’Ken,” she whispered.

“No, it’s…” As Bones tried to explain, Lilandra’s ship got hit. The shields held steady, but the vessel rocked from the impact. 

“Main screen,” Lilandra said. A ship appeared on the view screen; it also was completely alien to Jim, which he supposed was par for the course. It was a weird peach color, and had three engines sticking out of it. “Evasive maneuvers!”

Lilandra’s ship turned to its starboard side and moved; the other ship continued to fire, overpowering Lilandra’s shields. 

“Is that your brother?” Jim said as he held onto the nearest console to keep from falling. 

“No, I do not recognize them,” Lilandra said. “Or understand why they are attacking us.”

Her ship fled, but the attackers fired a different weapon at them; this acted like an electric pulse to the life forms on Lilandra’s ship. Jim and his crew cried out, falling to the ground. 

There was silence for a few minutes, and then Jim opened his eyes. “What the hell was that?” he asked no one in particular. 

“I feel awful,” Chekov concurred from where he lay.

Nyota got up onto her hands and knees, pausing to look around the ship. Spock stood and gave the Shi’ar crew a curious glance. “It appears that weapon, possibly some type of stun ray, was attuned to the life signs of the Shi’ar,” Spock said. “All of them are unconscious.”

Bones stood, shaking his head a little, and Scotty messed with one of his ears. Jim went to ask how Bones was when the door to Lilandra’s bridge opened. In the hallway stood a large green lizard-like creature with sharp fangs, a white-furred woman who looked to be some kind of skunk person, and a human man with brown hair and a mustache who carried two guns.

“Aliens, Corsair,” the lizard said. “Ones that got beaten by the ugly stick, by the look of it.”

Jim narrowed his eyes, which was his standard operating procedure for being called ugly. “I beg your pardon, scale-face?”

“Get the crystal!” the human shouted. He then opened fire on the _Enterprise_ crew. Not having time to take cover, Jim grabbed his phaser and returned fire, Sulu and Scotty following suit.

“They aren’t with D’Ken,” Bones said. “They’re pirates. They call themselves the Starjammers.”

“They do not look like pirates,” Chekov mumbled. “No eye patches or parrots.”

The firefight escalated into a full brawl. Sulu grappled with the skunk woman; a cloud of something shot out of her tail, and Sulu coughed and doubled over. She smirked at him and aimed her weapon; unfortunately for her, Sulu recovered and hit her with a roundhouse kick to the face. She dropped to the ground, and it was effortless for him to stun her. 

Scotty and Chekov struggled with the large lizard. He managed to hit Scotty with a blast, causing him to drop his phaser. Chekov had the element of surprise on his side as he snuck up behind him, but the lizard sensed him and struck out with a fist, catching Chekov in the solar plexus. Chekov wheezed a little but climbed up the lizard’s back. He covered his eyes with his hands.

“Hey!”

Chekov clung to him. “You cannot fight what you cannot see,” he coughed.

Spock and Nyota focused their energy on trying to get them away from the pirates. Spock stared down at the console that housed the ship’s controls; unfortunately, they were in the Shi’ar language. 

Nyota peered over his shoulder. “I think this is the throttle,” she said as she pointed to a section of the screen.

Spock nodded. “We shall see.” It was, indeed, the throttle, and he steered them away from the pirates’ vessel.

Ever the doctor, Bones checked on Lilandra. He opened one of her eyes and saw it had rolled back into her head. “Damn it,” he said. He reached out with his hands, which glowed. “I think I can wake her.” As soon as it started, the energy flickered and died on his hands, which trembled. “Damn it,” Bones said a second time.

Jim fired at the man called Corsair; he missed, and Corsair returned fire. He, too, missed, and Jim took advantage by tackling him to the ground. He straddled the pirate’s hips as he punched him in the face. 

Corsair turned to the side and spat out blood. He raised his wrist to his mouth. “Raza,” he said as Jim hit him a second time. “Recalibrate the stun ray for humans.”

 _But Captain,_ a voice said through his communicator.

“Do it, Raza, or my face will never be the same,” he ordered as Jim punched him a third time.

Wait.

Shit! Jim registered Corsair’s order too late; the energy wave pulsed through the ship again, and all of Jim’s crew including himself dropped like a sack of bricks.

\----

When Jim awoke, it was because water had been thrown at him. He sputtered and coughed, and he tried to wipe his face when he realized he couldn’t move his arms.

Jim looked up; his arms and legs were held in special restraints out from his body. Then he looked straight ahead; the lizard guy from back on Lilandra’s ship was the water-thrower, and this time Jim noticed the white puffy thing not unlike a tribble on his shoulder. “Corsair asked me to wake you up so you can talk,” he said. “He has a proposition for you.”

“He might have wanted to make it before this whole mess with the stun ray and abducting me,” Jim said.

The lizard rolled his eyes. “We shoulda picked the pointy-eared guy,” he grumbled as he started to leave. 

As he exited through the door, Corsair entered. “Sorry about Ch’od,” he said. “He gets funny about strangers.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Jim said. “Where’s my crew? Where’s Bones?”

“I didn’t bring them with us,” Corsair explained. 

Jim bit back a curse. “You left my crew unconscious and at the mercy of a mad man?”

Corsair looked at him with appraisal. “We both care for our crew. We have that in common.”

“Then you understand why I’m incredibly pissed off,” Jim said. “And also if you understand that, then you’ll forgive me for being skeptical of someone who would kidnap me away from them.”

Corsair smiled at him, and from the way his eyes lit up, Jim knew it was genuine. “You know…I come from your planet. Not a colony or anything, but from Earth itself. I grew up in Alaska.”

Jim blinked at the change in conversation. “How nice for you.”

“I was actually a Captain in Starfleet until the Shi’ar abducted my wife and I while we were on leave twenty years ago.” The smile ran away from Corsair’s face. “We were put in the slave pens, and D’Ken…he fixated on Katherine.”

Jim listened; something about a Starfleet captain disappearing sounded familiar.

“He tried to…” Corsair struggled with the words, and Jim’s stomach sank down into his knees in sympathy. 

“I get the picture,” Jim said in a kind voice.

“Thanks,” Corsair said. “I stopped him from…taking what he wanted. But to punish me, D’Ken slaughtered her right before my eyes.”

Jim closed his eyes for a second; hearing Corsair’s story made him think of Bones, and it hit a little too close to home. He knew without a doubt if someone did that to Bones in front of him he’d lose it. “Why are you telling me all this? We don’t know each other.”

“Do you have someone you love?” Corsair asked. 

Jim narrowed his eyes. “Why does that matter?”

“Is there a person that you would give up everything for to avenge if they were taken from you?” Corsair prompted.

He could have said no. Instead, Jim said, “Yeah.”

“Good. I just needed you to understand before I ask what I’m going to.” Corsair took a step forward, looking Jim directly in the eye as they were the same height. “D’Ken considers me a pirate and a festering wound in his side. If I attempt to kill him, he’ll see it coming. But if I bring him a prisoner, and the prisoner makes the attempt…”

“Wait a second,” Jim said, and he felt not only manipulated but also angry. “You’re using me as an assassin? You know as a Starfleet officer I can’t do that! It’ll cause the Shi’ar to go to war with the Federation!”

“I know that if D’Ken gets his hands on the M’Kraan Crystal, there won’t be a Shi’ar or a Federation for a war at all,” Corsair said. “I’m asking you to take one life in order to preserve countless others.” He turned, and took several steps towards the cell door. “I remember the oaths you take when you enlist. This is in keeping with Starfleet’s ideals.”

Jim looked down at the floor. 

The problem wasn’t what Corsair asked; D’Ken was crazy if he thought harnessing the crystal was a good idea. If Lilandra and Bones were right, and Jim had to admit he had no reason to think they weren’t, then the Federation was doomed. 

He could leave it up to Bones and Phoenix, as apparently Phoenix was the guardian of the crystal. The problem with that was how Bones collapsed every time he used his powers; he was still far too weak to be reliable. It hurt for Jim to think that way about Bones, but facts were facts: Bones’ powers weren’t stable.

If something could be done to take the burden off Bones, then it needed to happen. 

Jim wasn’t afraid to kill; he had done it more than once in the line of duty on the _Enterprise_. This was different, though…it was calculated, whereas those other instances were in the heat of the moment. 

It had been them or him. 

Although, this situation wasn’t much different: it was D’Ken or the Federation. Jim had a duty to uphold as a Starfleet officer, first and foremost. If he could prevent the End of All That Is, he had no choice.

“Wait,” Jim said, and Corsair turned around. “I’ll do it.”

Corsair smiled and flipped a switch on the wall. The restraints fell away, leaving Jim free to move. “I had a feeling you would come to that conclusion,” the pirate said.

“I’m not doing it for you or for your revenge,” Jim said. “I’m doing it because there’s no other way.” It occurred to him who he was talking to. “Captain Christopher Summers.”

“No one’s called me that in decades,” Corsair admitted with a shrug. “I’m pretty much just Corsair now, ever since my compatriots and I busted out of the slave pens. Although I returned the favor with Hepzibah because it is literally impossible for a human to pronounce her real name.”

“The skunk lady?” Jim asked as Corsair walked him through the ship and to its bridge. 

“Better you call her that than a cat, she gets offended by that comparison,” Corsair said with a laugh. 

They arrived on the bridge, and Jim saw in addition to Ch’od and Hepzibah, there was a red-haired man with an eye-patch and something that looked like a cross between a helicopter and a dragonfly. 

“You’ve met Hepzibah and Ch’od,” Corsair said. “The swashbuckler is Raza, and this is Sikorsky,” he said with a point to the helicopter thing. Hepzibah immediately walked to Corsair and wrapped her tail around his waist. Corsair put his arm around her shoulders, and Jim chose not to comment.

“So how am I gonna do this?” Jim said. “I can’t exactly go in with my phaser.”

Raza held up a flat piece of plastic. “We will strap this to your back,” he said, and his voice was tinny, like a robot’s. “They will not expect it coming from a prisoner.”

Jim nodded; it was a valid point. If they told D’Ken they brought him an offering, he wouldn’t suspect Jim until it was too late.

Jim hoped he wouldn’t get killed in the process.


	8. Chapter Seven

D’Ken sat on the throne in his Imperial Cruiser, surrounded by most of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. “I tire of this,” he said to no one in particular. “The crystal is near. It must be in my possession soon!”

The Imperial Guards said nothing; they knew better than to comment when D’Ken was frustrated. The throne room door opened, and in strode Gladiator with Davan Shakari, who looked very afraid. 

As well he should be.

“You have failed me,” D’Ken said. “You did not get Lilandra, and you did not get the Crystal. Were these tasks too difficult?”

“I…your Excellency,” Shakari stammered.

“And you…” D’Ken turned to Gladiator. “You are the Praetor of the Imperial Guard. How is it possible that mere Terrans defeated you?”

“My lord,” Gladiator said as he bowed. “Is it not written that the Crystal has a Guardian?”

“The Phoenix is a story told by school children,” D’Ken scoffed. “It is nothing more than a fable.”

“My lord,” Gladiator raised his head. “I have seen him. I have felt his power, and he is merciless. The Phoenix lives!”

D’Ken scoffed a second time. “I will believe it when I see it.” He stood and began to pace. 

Just then, an image formed in the middle of the throne room. It was a small hologram of Corsair.

“Corsair, you impudent rebel dog,” D’Ken snarled.

“Pirate traitor!” Gladiator added for good measure.

 _Nice to see I haven’t been forgotten,_ Corsair said with a smile. _You’d do better to speak kinder to me. I have something that you want._ The image shifted from Corsair’s face to the M’Kraan Crystal. _The Terrans and Starfleet were too much for your Imperial agents, but I was able to deal with them. I even have the Starfleet Captain Kirk in my custody; consider it a small bonus._

“Name your price,” D’Ken said.

The image changed back to Corsair. _You’d give up everything for this, but I’m only asking half. Half the Imperial Treasury, that is._

“My lord, he insults you,” Gladiator protested.

D’Ken raised a hand to silence him. “By the sacred ancestors of the Shi’ar, I agree to your price.”

 _That’s the spirit_. Corsair smiled. _I’ll see you in an hour._ The image faded, leaving D’Ken standing in his throne room with his emissaries.

“When the Crystal is mine,” D’Ken said. “You’ll kill Corsair and tear the Starjammer out of space.”

Gladiator stared at him in disbelief. “But…Majestor, you swore the sacred oath…”

“You will do it!” D’Ken said, and Gladiator once again bowed his head. “You will do it. You will put an end to his miserable existence.”

“Yes, your Excellency,” Gladiator said.

“And as for you Shakari,” D’Ken continued. “Go to the airlock near the guest quarters. You will have one hour to contemplate your failures before it is opened.”

Shakari shook where he stood. “Y-yes, your Excellency,” he said, and he made his way out of the throne room to the designated area.

D’Ken took his place back on his throne and smiled.

\------

“Doctor,” a voice called, and Bones felt like it was far away. “Doctor, you must awaken.”

Bones opened his eyes and saw Spock kneeling over him. “Spock, what…?”

“The stun ray was calibrated for humans,” Spock explained as he helped Bones sit up. “As I am only half, it did not affect me as severely as the rest of you.”

Bones stood and looked around him; everyone else still lay unconscious. He put his hand to his temple and sent a telepathic wave to them. This time it worked, and one by one they roused until they all stood upright.

Except Jim was nowhere to be found.

//Jim? // Bones sent telepathically around the ship. //Jim, I know you don’t want me in your head but answer me!//

He received no answer, which meant that Jim wasn’t on board. 

“They took him,” Bones said, and his hands shook. He swallowed once, and his eyes were wide. “They took Jim.”

Something in Spock’s face shifted, and Bones could feel that he was beside himself with concern. “That is not all they have taken.”

Bones read Spock’s mind like a flashing neon sign. “The crystal.” He sank back against the console with his eyes closed. “They have the crystal _and_ they have Jim.”

Lilandra went to her helmswoman. “Can we overtake their vessel?”

“No, Admiral,” the woman said. “They’re too fast.”

Lilandra turned to Bones. “You must transport us onto their ship the same way you brought us here.”

Bones brought his hand up to his mouth and thought. “I…I don’t know that I can.” Everyone stared at him, and he sighed. “Every time I use my powers, I grow stronger,” Bones explained. “My body is strong and young; it recovers quickly from their use. But…I don’t know that I’m strong enough yet to fly through deep space carrying all of you with me. If I do, I may not have anything left in me to defend the crystal.” 

Bones closed his eyes. If he could reach out to Jim, contact him telepathically, he could at least find where he and the crystal were. //Jim.// Bones thought as the others discussed their predicament. The noise of the conversation faded away from Bones as he reached out throughout the stars and cosmos. //Jim.// he said a second time.

Something pulled him, like a tether. He hadn’t reached Jim, but he felt echoes of where Jim had been. Bones followed them like a ley line across space and time, homing in on his mind.

//Jim.// he called over and over. Each time he said it, he felt his telepathic voice grow stronger.

Bones saw a ship, an incredible ship that was even bigger than the _Enterprise_. 

Next to it was the Starjammer.

//Jim.//

He perception shifted, and he saw through Jim’s eyes. D’Ken stood before him, and Jim’s hand drifted close to the weapon strapped to his back. Corsair stood next to him, and he held a tube. Corsair opened it, and the M’Kraan Crystal glittered in the light.

No!

Bones snapped his eyes open. “I’ve found Jim. He’s on D’Ken’s ship.” 

Lilandra nodded. “And the crystal?”

“It’s with him,” Bones answered. It didn’t matter if he was strong enough; he had no choice any longer. His eyes turned white, and he felt the mystic flame form around his body. “We must go.”

He grabbed Lilandra and his friends in his wings, and flew off into space. As Phoenix, he could travel countless distances in the blink of an eye. D’Ken was all the way by the sun, but Bones reached the ship in seconds. Bones flew them through the ship’s hull and into the throne room, the flames disappearing as they had every other time he used his powers. Drifting down from the air, Bones landed on his feet before sinking to the floor.

He heard Jim shout, “Bones!” as he ran to him. “Are you all right?”

Bones looked up into those blue eyes and felt his heart practically short out from relief. “Worry about me later, we need to get that Crystal.” Jim nodded, and he turned his attention back to the room. 

Corsair physically assaulted D’Ken, and they wrestled near the throne. The pirate strangled the Majestor, yelling, “You’ve lived far too long, D’Ken! The end of your life is---“ He was cut off by D’Ken turning into a gray-skinned man with antennae. “A shape shifter?”

The shape shifter smirked and threw Corsair across the throne room.

“Imperial Guards,” Gladiator called as he took the Crystal. “Attack the interlopers!”

Jim helped Bones stand, just in time for them to see Scotty and Chekov open fire on two of the Imperial Guard members: an incredibly pale woman in pink with blue hair, and a man made of living flame. They both crumpled to the ground, stunned.

Bones stood behind Jim as he grabbed the gun at his back and began to open fire. He managed to slow down a Guard member with a glowing head, like a star. Bones’ hands glowed, and he moved to attack Gladiator when Jim stopped him. “Save it for the Crystal!” Jim ordered. “We need you for that, not this!”

A man wearing a white and black suit and red glasses flew down and grabbed Spock, lifting him into the air. Spock turned his phaser all the way up and blasted him, causing them to crash into a wall. Spock recovered first, although his forehead was smeared green with blood for his trouble. 

Lilandra fought a woman in purple. “Plutonia,” she said through clenched teeth. “You must listen! The Empire is polluted” The purple woman fired a pulse of energy at her, but she dodged it. “Think, Plutonia, why would he want the M’Kraan Crystal?”

Plutonia’s stance faltered. “Princess…”

Taking advantage, Lilandra slammed Plutonia in the face with the palm of her hand, shattering her faceplate. Her blue blood gushed out of her now-broken nose. Lilandra fired her weapon, stunning her. 

Sulu and Uhura stood back to back as they opened fire on the Imperial Guard, but they dealt with the heavy-hitters; Gladiator didn’t even slow down in spite of being hit at full vaporize. Sulu changed his position so he aimed over her shoulder, and together both of their phasers on full managed to disorient him enough that he dropped the Crystal, Lilandra grabbing it before he could recover. “We must get back to my ship,” Lilandra shouted as she ran out the door. 

“You heard the woman,” Jim said. “Move out!” He grabbed Bones’ hand, and together they ran towards the door, their follow officers hot on their heels. A purple and red blur zoomed past them, and Bones didn’t have to use his powers to know it was Gladiator.

Shit.

Ahead of them, they heard Lilandra scream. 

Jim and Bones stopped short.

Gladiator held Lilandra, and the real D’Ken had the Crystal. 

“One more step, Terrans,” D’Ken said with an oily smile, “And Gladiator will crush Lilandra like a twig.”

Jim and Corsair immediately drew their weapons on D’Ken.

“No, Jim,” Bones said, stepping forward. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves. “It’s my show now.” 

D’Ken held the crystal up to his face. “In the name of Sharra and K’ythri and the sacred ancestors of the Shi’ar home world…”

“D’Ken, no! For the love of all we hold dear, do not…” Gladiator placing his hand over her mouth cut off Lilandra. She continued to scream behind it, and her eyes were wild.

“I call upon the nine dying stars and the world that has no name…” D’Ken continued.

“Stop!” Bones said as his eyes turned white. “I am the Guardian of the Crystal!” He hovered in the air, and a firebird formed around him.

D’Ken ignored him. “…Unlock the power of the M’Kraan, and make the galaxy _mine 6!_” 

A light sparked out of a crack in the crystal. The pink color faded away to a light gray, and energy seeped off it onto D’Ken. Bones flew forward and grabbed the crystal in one of his talons.

“You’re too late!” D’Ken shouted with a laugh. He aimed his hands and shot an energy blast at Bones, destroying the firebird and blowing him back into his crewmates. Jim caught him, his arms sliding around him easily.

“Damn it,” Bones said as he regained his balance, standing back on his own feet. “I need to be stronger…I’m not there yet!” The light pooled around D’Ken, almost but not quite blinding the others. The Crystal hovered in the air, little pulses of energy flowing throughout the room. “It has begun,” Bones said, as he stood free of Jim. “His words opened a breech in the Crystal, and now he’s harnessing the power of the negative galaxy inside it.”

“So what?” Sulu said, and even if Bones couldn’t read his mind, his fear would be apparent from the trembling of his voice. “It’s going to get out?”

D’Ken turned into living crystal and grew to the size of a giant. Energy poured out of his eyes, shooting rays at the _Enterprise_ crew and Corsair. Bones erected a telekinetic shield, protecting them from the blast.

“No,” Bones said as he shook his head and strengthened the shield. “Everything we know, including ourselves, is going to be pulled _in_.

\-----

For the first time since Nero, Jim Kirk was afraid.

There was no telling how long it would take, but the M’Kraan Crystal had been activated. Energy leaked out of it, and if what Bones said was true, they really were all doomed. 

Jim didn’t believe in no-win scenarios, but this…this was a wholly different ballgame.

D’Ken continued to grow in size, and the energy pouring from his eyes doubled. Bones grit his teeth and held the shield in position, but it gave way, knocking him to the floor with the force of the impact. Jim reached down and helped him up. Corsair opened fire on D’Ken, but the blasts merely ricocheted off the Emperor; Sulu and Spock also opened fire, and their phasers were just as ineffective.

“I do not understand what is happening,” Gladiator said as he let go of Lilandra. 

Throwing his head back, D’Ken laughed, and it was high-pitched, the laughter of the insane. “You are all fools! None of you can stop me! You are merely toys put here for my amusement!”

At this, D’Ken shrank in size and got pulled into the crystal. 

“Well, _that_ sure worked,” Jim said. Bones walked to the crystal. “Hey, Bones, what…?”

“D’Ken has been granted his wish,” Bones said, not paying attention to Jim. “He is now one with the Crystal. While we’re out here, he’s inside it creating his own universe.” He stared up at the Crystal, and Jim couldn’t quite read the look on his face. “Where we all will soon be, although by that point none of us will care.”

Corsair put his wrist up to his mouth. “Ch’od?”

The voice of the lizard came out loud enough for Jim to hear it. _We read you, Captain._

“Take the Starjammer and get out of here yesterday,” Corsair ordered.

 _But, Captain,_ Ch’od said. _We’re all set to board D’Ken’s ship and retrieve you!_

“That’s an order, Ch’od, don’t make me repeat myself,” Corsair said. “Go!”

There was a sound, like the noise the _Enterprise_ would make when its dock’s moorings would detach, and Jim knew the Starjammer separated from the Imperial Cruiser. He turned his attention back to Bones. “You all must join them,” Bones said. “I need more time to see if I’m strong enough to contain the Crystal.”

Jim stared at him. “You’re not doing this alone!”

“If we are not successful,” Bones said as he raised his hands. The Crystal flew down, hovering just out of Bones’ reach. “Then we are all as good as dead.”

“You’re not doing this alone,” Jim repeated. “We can help!”

“It is up to us now,” Bones said, finally turning to Jim and his eyes were white. A raptor formed behind him, gathering them all in its wings. With the speed of thought, they were taken from D’Ken’s ship and placed on the bridge of the Starjammer. Ch’od, Raza, and Hepzibah, startled by their appearance, gawked at them for a minute. 

“Corsair,” Hepzibah said in relief.

“What is happening?” Ch’od asked.

“We are being given a short time to contemplate our fate, while someone attempts to change it,” Corsair said as he ran to the ship’s controls, turning on its main screen. “Full escape velocity! Push it!”

A large firebird flew away from the Starjammer towards D’Ken’s ship. It disappeared inside it. Jim’s palms began to sweat, and he wiped them off on his pants. “Your magnification go any higher?”

Corsair increased the magnification, and they got a close view of the Imperial Cruiser. As the Starjammer flew away from it, the image moved further back.

“That’s the best we can do,” Corsair said. 

Jim took a step towards the screen. “Bones,” he whispered.

“This is nuts,” Sulu said, causing everyone to stare at him. “I’m sorry, but really? I can’t be the only person who thinks all of this is terrible and crazy, can I?”

“I don’t think any of us are enjoying ourselves,” Scotty said. “We just have to have faith that the doctor can…”

“That the doctor can what? Use his new magic powers to somehow save our asses?” Sulu cut him off. “I mean, this is insane! Why does a human, why does _any human_ have his powers?”

Jim stiffened at this and glared at him. “I’m not exactly thrilled about it either, but right now Bones is our only hope.”

Sulu threw up his hands. “Of course you think so! You think everything he does is great!” He looked around the bridge at each person in turn before giving his attention back to Jim. “I am telling you that no human, _no human_ should be able to do what he’s been doing! Telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation…he’s practically a God now! It’s dangerous is what it is!”

The accusation hung in the air, and Jim growled at him. “Stand down, Lieutenant,” he said. That was Bones Sulu was talking about, and Jim wouldn’t have it. 

“Oh that’s great, you’re gonna order me around because you don’t like what I’m saying,” Sulu snapped, and Nyota and Chekov stared wide-eyed at him in disbelief. 

“I said _stand down_ ,” Jim reiterated through clenched teeth. “Your freak out isn’t doing anything for this situation. It is what it is. Bones will stop the Crystal and save us. You don’t have to like it, but you need to _accept it_.”

“What in…?” Corsair mumbled, and Jim looked back at the view screen. He gaped at the scene before him.

D’Ken’s ship was folding up in on itself like an accordion, collapsing into nothingness.

“Oh dear God,” Nyota said, her hand covering her mouth.

At the same moment they noticed that, the Starjammer lurched backwards, knocking all of them off their feet. Then the ship came to a complete halt. “I didn’t give the order to stop,” Corsair said.

Raza frantically pushed the controls. “I do not know what happened, Corsair. We’re at maximum speed, but we are not moving at all.”

Gladiator helped Lilandra stand. “Phoenix has failed,” she said, and Jim’s blood ran cold. “We shall soon join my brother inside the Crystal.”

“Wait a minute,” Scotty said. “How do you know that? He might still…”

“Look,” Chekov said. On the screen, D’Ken’s ship disappeared, leaving only the M’Kraan Crystal behind. The sun’s light started to stream into it, as if the Crystal was eating it alive.

“Oh,” Scotty said. “Well sure, if you want to prove your point that way, then that’s fine.”

“Open fire,” Corsair commanded. Ch’od immediately did as he was told, firing on the crystal. It had no effect, but Ch’od continued to shoot it anyway.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Jim asked. “Bones is…”

“’Bones’ is no longer a factor in the equation,” Corsair said. “Saving my ship and our lives is.”

The Starjammer hurtled towards the Crystal, faster than it flew under its own power. 

Gladiator wrapped his cape around Lilandra. “I regret, Majestrix, that my service to you must begin in such a manner,” he told her over the sounds of the Starjammer being crushed under the strain. 

Jim cast his eyes down at the floor, Lilandra’s words about Bones’ failure ringing in his ears. 

Not again. 

He couldn’t lose Bones again, not like this. He looked at his crew; Scotty and Chekov clung to each other, and Spock held Nyota close, their fingers joined in a Vulcan kiss. Sulu stared ahead at the screen, and if he had been afraid before, now he had to be beside himself from the paleness of his face and the clenching of his fists. 

There was only one person Jim wanted to be with, and he would join him soon. 

The Starjammer came up on the Crystal, and Jim squeezed his eyes shut. He took a deep breath and hoped that it would be relatively painless. The ship flipped upside down, then right side up. Everyone screamed as they were tossed in circles, rolling around like marbles. This continued for what felt like eons before the ship crashed into something hard. 

Jim slid into a console, cursing when his back hit it. 

“Jesus _Christ_ ,” Scotty said from where he lay upside down against a chair. “Now I know how a Higgs-Boson particle feels.”

The hull of the Starjammer breeched, but they did not get sucked out into space. They weren’t in space at all. As Jim rubbed his head to make sure he wasn’t injured, he thought he heard the loud sound of a pulsing heartbeat. 

“What is that noise?” Spock asked, and Jim sighed in relief that someone else heard it.

They stood and made their way through the hole in the ship to the outside, and what they saw threatened to make Jim throw up. The ground was littered with throbbing pink veins and purple stones; Jim carefully walked forward to not step on the exposed organs. The sky, if it even was a sky, was a dull red. Yellow lighting filled the air, as did flying hunks of rock. In the middle was a floating red orb bathed in yellow light.

“I think I am going to be sick,” Chekov said as he made a strangled noise. He covered his face with his hands and swallowed several times.

“The legends of the Crystal are true,” Lilandra said as she stepped forward and searched the landscape. “But what of my brother?”

 **What of your brother?** a voice asked, and Jim had the feeling it came from the sky. **He lives, dear sister!**

The red orb warped, alternating between pitch black and golden light. Haunting laughter filled the air around them, and Jim instinctively went for his phaser.

“Show yourself,” Gladiator yelled up the sky.

 **You wish to see me? Very well, then.** D’Ken appeared, and he now stood larger than the Starjammer. **Here I am, fools! The power of the negative galaxy is mine! The universe shall soon see me and tremble!**

Jim armed his phaser; it was not likely it would work, but he wasn’t about to roll over and let D’Ken destroy the galaxy. Scotty and Sulu stood next to him, also with armed phasers. “Let’s roll,” Jim barked, and the three of them rushed at D’Ken.

“Captain, no!” Spock said, but it was too late. D’Ken fired energy at them, hitting them all, and the force blew them into the Starjammer. Jim saw stars from the impact.

 _Shit_.

Gladiator flew to a large rock and hurled it at D’Ken, who simply waved a hand and melted it. He also laughed. **You are all too simple to understand** , D’Ken said as he vanished. 

Jim got up on his hands and knees, looking across the field, when something caught his eye in the corner of his vision.

Laying about fourteen meters away was a body in a green jacket. The person had been flattened, and the only distinguishing mark left was a shock of dark brown hair.

Jim crawled toward the body, his eyes never leaving it; he swallowed as he got closer. Finally, he knelt next to it.

It was Bones.

“No,” Jim said. “Bones…” His heart stopped from being hit by grief, his throat and eyes burning at the realization. “Not again.” Jim was vaguely aware of the battle continuing behind him as he reached out and held onto Bones’ arm. Bones had not only failed, he was dead. 

Nothing mattered anymore. Being trapped in the crystal didn’t matter; stopping D’Ken didn’t matter, because once again everything that was important to him has been taken away. Bones was dead, and he wouldn’t be coming back this time.

Jim reached up and wiped the tears out of his eyes as he struggled not to cry; seeing this was enough to break him. He clung to Bones’ sleeve, biting back a sob. His heart felt like it was encased in ice, like he would never feel joy or anything approaching it again. He went to wipe his eyes a second time when he noticed his hands were red.

They were covered with Bones’ blood.

“Oh God,” Jim said, choking back another sob. He didn’t want to break down, but it was too much. Bones was gone, and Jim finally let the tears fall as he took a closer look at Bones’ body. He really had been flattened; his organs leaked out of holes in his skin, and his face had caved in, almost unrecognizable. Gray mush came out of the top of his head, and Jim realized with horror that it was Bones’ brain. “Oh God, Bones,” he said a second time. 

“Captain,” Spock said. Jim didn’t respond, he continued to hold Bones’ jacket. “Captain,” Spock repeated. “We need your assistance.”

“Go away,” Jim choked. “I can’t…”

“Jim,” Spock tried again. “Jim, we need you to help us try to stop D’Ken.”

“I don’t care,” Jim said. His grip tightened on Bones’ sleeve. 

Spock stood silent for a minute. “I understand that you are emotionally compromised, Jim, but the entire Federation is at stake.”

“I told you, I don’t care,” Jim said. “Let him win. I don’t fucking care.”

Again, Spock was silent. “I believe Doctor McCoy would be most displeased to hear you say that.”

Jim swallowed, but he did loosen his grip on the jacket. As much as he hated to admit it, Spock had a point. Bones would kill him for giving up like this. “Fuck.” He wiped the blood off on Bones’ coat and his pants. Jim sniffled as he collected himself. “Okay.” He turned his attention back to D’Ken and the others. 

If the emperor had been large before, he was enormous now. He also appeared to be made of living stone. Gladiator shot him with his eye beams, and D’Ken laughed.

“It has no effect,” the Imperial Guardsman said. “Majestrix…”

“I shall try to reason with him,” Lilandra said as she stepped forward. “D’Ken, my dear brother, the Crystal will gain you nothing. Join with us to fight it, and we can save all of creation. We are trapped, and the power will cause the End of All That Is, including you. ”

 **End me?** D’Ken stared down at his sister. **The Crystal is life! The Crystal is everything! We are one, and we are remaking the universe into one I alone will rule.** A thoughtful look crossed his features, and his hands sunk down into the ground. **All I need is a thought, and I can destroy you.**

His hands reappeared above the Starjammer, and he crushed it like a paper doll. Jim saw by the set of her shoulders that Lilandra was not willing to give up. “If you help us seal the crystal, we can end this, D’Ken,” she tried again. “There is no need for the galaxy, including the Shi’ar Empire, to be destroyed.”

D’Ken did not answer her; he instead laughed again.

Gladiator lifted into the air. “I am tired of this! Prepare to be destroyed, creature!” He flew at D’Ken, punching him in the chest. D’Ken’s body absorbed his fist, however, and Gladiator became stuck.

 **You dare challenge me?** A light poured out of D’Ken’s chest, forming a bubble around Gladiator who screamed in pain. The energy then propelled Gladiator backwards into the remains of the Starjammer. **See what I do to your so-called protectors, Lilandra?**

The stone body disintegrated, and another ship filled the air above them. “Incoming!” Jim yelled as it crashed not too far from the Starjammer. Its hull also had a hole in it, and out stepped the various members of the Imperial Guard.

“Kallark,” the pale blue-haired woman said to Gladiator, and Jim guessed that must be his real name. “What is happening? We evacuated the cruiser, but…”

“Imperial Guard,” Gladiator said, and the members all stood before him. “We are honored today to preserve the Shi’ar Empire by destroying former emperor D’Ken.”

The other members all murmured together.

“I don’t understand,” the woman continued.

“Oracle, D’Ken has gone mad,” Lilandra explained. “If we do not stop him, the fate of more than just the Empire is at stake!”

“We must attack,” Gladiator said as he hit his hand with his fist.

Jim sighed, and Spock turned to him with an assessing look. “It is not like you to give up hope,” Spock said as the flying members of the Imperial Guard took off in search of D’Ken.

Jim kicked at a loose rock. “Our weapons are useless, Bones is dead, and we’re trapped inside a crystal.”

D’Ken’s face filled the sky, and one by one, he took out the members of the Imperial Guard with lightning.

Jim sighed a second time before looking his first officer in the eye. “No, Spock, I’m not one to give up, but you have to admit…it ain’t pretty.” 

An idea struck him then, and Jim looked at the Starjammer; sure it sat crushed, but maybe its weapons still functioned. He grabbed Chekov by the collar and dragged him inside.

“Captain, what…?”

“Can you figure this out enough to fire at D’Ken?” Jim asked as he steered Chekov to sit at the console Ch’od used earlier. 

Chekov blinked up at him before quirking his lips in a smile. “They have not invented a system I cannot figure out.”

“Good,” Jim said as he flipped the switch for the view screen. On it, they saw Gladiator and the flaming Imperial Guardsman pour everything they had into a frontal assault on D’Ken. As with all their previous attacks, this proved useless. 

Miraculously, the systems came online. Jim made a note if they got out of this to ask Lilandra to join the Federation; Shi’ar tech was obviously superior to Starfleet’s, as much as it pained him to admit, and Starfleet could use it against the Klingons and the Romulans.

Chekov read the screen for a second. “I have torpedoes, a stun ray, and blasters, sir.”

“Torpedoes,” Jim said as he kept his eyes on the battle. D’Ken turned the ground against them, and stone warriors attacked the Imperial Guard and Jim’s crew. He saw Uhura shoot one of the golems before she ran from another. 

“Aye,” Chekov said as he took aim. He fired with a gleeful expression. His aim was true, and he hit D’Ken right in the chest, his form shattering into shards of glass.

“Yes!” Jim pounded his fist into the console. Chekov reached his right hand up, and Jim gave him the highest of fives. “I owe you a commendation for that, Chekov.”

Chekov shrugged. “It is the job.”

Jim pat him on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go regroup with the others.” They made their way off the Starjammer, where the Imperial Guard, Starjammers, and his crew stood. “I think we got him, if…”

Maniacal laughter rung through the air, and the sky filled with D’Ken’s face.

 **Did you really think that could work?** D’Ken said, and his tone was snide. **Did you really think any weapon is capable of stopping me?**

“Well, I mean…I’d look pretty stupid if I said yes now,” Jim said.

D’Ken continued to laugh. **All of you are pathetic. There is no stopping what I have become. I am The End of All That Is. Nothing can prevent my rule.** He turned his gaze to Lilandra. **Treacherous sister, I think it is time I repaid you for your actions.**

A beam shot out of D’Ken’s eye, and it enveloped Lilandra in a bubble. She screamed as she floated up towards his face. 

“Majestrix!” Gladiator and all the members of the Imperial Guard who could fly took to the air. “Monster, leave her be!”

D’Ken waved a hand, and all of the flying Guardsmen fell out of the sky and into the ground. Sulu opened fire on D’Ken, Scotty following suit. D’Ken shot energy at them, blowing them onto their backs. Lilandra lay momentarily forgotten but still in the bubble. 

“I will not rest until you are stopped, creature!” Gladiator said, having recovered. He once again took the sky, flying so fast Jim almost couldn’t see him. He folded his hands together and reached them back, bringing them down onto D’Ken’s head but not before he vanished.

D’Ken reappeared behind them and again floated Lilandra to him.

 **So many ways to get revenge,** D’Ken said. **I think I shall tear you apart and put you back together. Would you like that, dear sister?**

“D’Ken, no!” Lilandra screamed. 

Before any of them could react, the ground gave way under their feet. It splintered apart into islands, and they all separated. “Shit,” Jim said as he lost his balance and fell off his piece of rock. The Imperial Guardsman in the sunglasses caught him.

“I have you, Captain,” he said as he swooped down and also grabbed Hepzibah. “Both of you are safe for now.”

“Thanks uh…” Jim said. “Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Smasher,” he said as he let them down on another larger piece of rock; Jim watched as Gladiator brought Uhura and Spock to it in a similar manner. The gray skinned shape shifter turned into a large dragon and swooped below the rest of the non-flyers. Jim sighed in relief that none of his crew was killed.

D’Ken continued to laugh. **I can make you my minion,** he said to Lilandra. **I can do with you whatever I please.**

Out of the corner of his eye, Jim saw something flicker, like a spark. He turned to it; he sat close to Bones’ body, and flames licked at the corpse. Before he could react, a great fire raptor appeared.

“Do not despair,” Bones’ voice called throughout the crystal. “Phoenix is reborn.”

Jim’s heart swelled and his eyes, his stupid, traitorous eyes, started welling up with tears. “Bones,” was all he said, all he _could_ say as relief stole his capacity for speech.

 **Be gone!** D’Ken said. **I have no time for you, insect**.

Lilandra fell from the sky, and Gladiator caught her. “I have you, Majestrix.”

Bones became visible in the middle of the firebird, and he reached up a hand. D’Ken immediately fired an energy blast at him, but Bones deflected it. “Lilandra’s ship approaches,” Bones told them. “I will teleport you to it, where you will be safe. You will be beyond D’Ken’s reach.” 

Bones faded into the flame, and his wings stretched out and grabbed everyone except D’Ken. Screeching, the bird flapped its wings, flying in circles around the emperor. It then flew up high through the breech in the crystal and into space.

It only took a second, but they arrived on Lilandra’s ship. Bones floated down from the ceiling and into Jim’s arms.

Jim held him as tight as he could. “You’re alive,” he breathed.

“Yeah,” Bones said as he returned the hug. “I am.”

“What of the crystal?” Lilandra said as she took a step towards them. “Can you really stop it?”

“There is one way,” Bones said before doubling-over. Jim reached out, supporting his weight with his hands. “If I’m strong enough.” He looked around the ship, his eyes lingering on the faces of the _Enterprise_ crew. “I was chosen because I’m a healer, and as a human, I have empathy. I can feel the crystal’s pain, whereas the Phoenix cannot. Together we have learned much of the orb, the living center at the crystal’s heart. I know now what needs to be done, if I can.” Bones took a step forward away from Jim. “I must join with the matrix surrounding the crystal and restore what D’Ken has broken.”

Jim gaped at him for a second before grabbing his arm, turning him so that they faced each other. “Are you crazy? What happens if you get stuck? You’ll be trapped inside the crystal forever!”

Bones smiled at him, and it was sad. “You can’t stop me, Jim, so don’t even try. You know I wouldn’t if there was any other way, but I have to. If our positions were reversed, you’d do the same.”

Jim clenched his hands into fists. “Then at least let me come with you. I can help!”

Bones didn’t answer him; he looked away with that same sad little smile.

A pang hit Jim deep in his chest. “I can’t go, can I?”

Again, Bones didn’t speak; he simply turned his eyes back to Jim’s face.

“Bones…” Jim began, needing to say something but not knowing what. “I…I want….”

Something shifted in Bones’ expression, and his smile brightened. “Tell me when I get back.” He turned back to everyone else. “Goodbye, my friends. I’m not one for flowery speeches, but…” He shrugged. “Well, you matter to me. Even you, Hobgoblin.”

Spock inclined his head in a nod, understanding written on his face. Nyota had tears in her eyes, and even Sulu looked sad.

Bones turned back to Jim one final time before flying up into the air. His hair turned to flame first, followed by his body. He soon became enveloped in a firebird, and he flew out of the ship into space. 

Jim watched him go on Lilandra’s view screen, taking a step toward it; he saw the Phoenix fly back into space. Jim stared at the scene in front of him, scared to even blink in case he missed something. He opened and closed his hands a few times, and he swallowed once. 

There was nothing more to do; it was all up to Bones now. All he could do was stand and watch. If Jim were the type, he would have prayed at that instant. Instead he reached out with his thoughts, sending them to Bones and hoping that he could hear him.

//You can do it, Bones.// he thought. //You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. You can save us.//

There was no response, and the view screen told him why. The phoenix was at the crystal now, and the image shrank as Lilandra’s ship moved away. It didn’t take long before he couldn’t make out anything except colors and vague shapes.

//You can do it, Bones.// he tried again. //You can do it.//

No answer came. The ship moved further away, and everyone on board was silent; the other people scarcely moved as they waited to see if Bones would succeed. Jim took another step to the screen and closed his eyes.

//Bones, I know you can feel me. You can do it. I’m giving you my strength, Bones. Use it.// He reached out to the screen. //Take everything, Bones. Everything that’s mine is yours.//

Jim felt warmth crash over his thoughts, like a soothing wave. It flowed throughout his body, and he felt at home. Without asking, he knew what, or rather who, it was.

//Bones?//

“Help me find a way,” he thought he heard Bones say. 

Jim reached out again. //Bones. I know you can do this. I know you’ll come back.// He bit his bottom lip. //Please save us and come back, Bones. Come back to me. There’s…there’s something I need to say.// The warmth continued to flow through him, and Jim looked at his crew. Scotty has wrapped his arms around himself, and Nyota’s eyes were wet. They could feel it, too. //Bones, we’re here for you. I’m here for you and waiting. Save us and come back.//

He focused his attention back on the screen; they were too far away now, and he could only see a light in front of the sun. 

//Bones, save us.// He reached out to the screen again. //I know you’ll win. You always do. Come back.// He felt tears form in his eyes. //You’ll save the day, and then you’ll come back. You can do it, Bones. I believe in you. You can do it.//

Just like that, the warmth receded. Jim took a deep breath; it made him feel inexplicably empty. He put his hands in his pockets, and his eyes did not leave the screen. 

//Bones, I know you can do it. I know you can save us. Save us and come back.// Jim sighed. //Save us and come back. Save us.//

Nobody, not even Gladiator, could move Jim away from the screen the whole time.

\-----

Bones flew through space, away from Lilandra’s ship and back to the M’Kraan Crystal. It still absorbed the sun’s light, and Mercury had gotten dangerously close to it. 

Bones frowned, and his firebird held the crystal in its wings. He closed his eyes and concentrated; the breech was on the top of the crystal, and it was very small. He needed to heal the crystal, seal it up, so the negative galaxy would stop pulling the Sol system into it.

Lines of energy came off the phoenix, turning into a grid that surrounded the crystal. Bones held it as close as he was able, doing everything he could to resist being pulled in a second time. It felt different, though; he felt stronger, like he was tapping into the very power of the stars themselves.

As Phoenix, he was one with all of creation. As Bones, he could sense where it needed mending. “I’m a healer,” he said, though there was no one there to hear him. “I will heal you.”

The energy sealed the breech, but something went wrong. Bones frowned and concentrated harder.

“It’s not enough,” he said. “ _I’m_ not enough!” He thought about the others, about how he would let them down. If there only was some way for them to help him.

Wait a second.

They couldn’t physically help him…but their souls… He could join with their souls, use parts of them to help him bind the crystal.

“Help me find a way,” Bones said as his eyes slid closed.

He thought of Chekov, exalting after solving a difficult problem. The Russian had an innocence and a childlike enthusiasm, but he was not naïve or simple.

He thought of Scotty, sometimes not sleeping in order to make sure the _Enterprise_ was running up to his rigid standards. His determination and will kept the ship going some days.

He thought of Sulu, bravely fighting and refusing to give up in spite of his fears. Sulu was incredibly strong, both inside and out, and would never give up, even if he were frightened.

He thought of Nyota, graceful, beautiful Nyota. She excelled at her job not just because she knew everything about every Federation culture, but because of how compassionate she was to other beings.

He thought of Spock, how he always knew the right thing to say to pull them down from the ledge. Spock’s logic frustrated him sometimes, but his wisdom was invaluable.

And finally, he thought of his beloved Jim. He thought of all the times Jim was there for him or for any of his crew. He thought of how stalwart he was, and how he always managed to work situations so that they all survived.

Bones could feel the souls of his friends, climbing high like the Tree of Life into space. He felt his own soul join with theirs, and together with the Phoenix, his power became a song within him. 

Little by little, the breech began to seal. It took time, but Bones did it.

 **No**! D’Ken shouted. **I will not have this! The Crystal and I will triumph!**

“It is too late for you, D’Ken,” Phoenix answered. “You were doomed from the moment you became one with the Crystal. The judgment of the Phoenix finds you wanting; the universe shall not share your fate.” With just a little more power, the crystal sealed, and D’Ken became trapped inside. 

Bones had done it! 

“Whew,” he said. The crystal moved into the phoenix’s body, centering itself by its heart.

There was another problem, however. 

While the crystal was sealed, that didn’t mean that someone else couldn’t undo Bones’ work. If another power-hungry being like D’Ken came along, the breech could be reopened.

There was almost nowhere the Crystal could go that was safe. 

The Crystal also could not be destroyed; the magic that made it was very old and very powerful. Not even his powers could burn it, but Bones could take it somewhere that was out of reach of all living beings. He could fly with it and put it into the heart of a black hole. The vacuum might be enough to even destroy the crystal where the power of the Phoenix could not.

That meant leaving his friends – leaving Jim – behind. 

An ache blossomed in Bones’ chest; he promised Jim he would come back, and that they would talk. Now he was going to have to renege on that; as Phoenix, Bones had an obligation to the universe. As much as it pained him, he had to put this duty above his heart.

Still holding the crystal, Bones flew back to Lilandra’s ship. He enveloped it in his living flame, and projected an image of his face onto the view screen. He could see all of them, Shi’ar and Federation person alike.

“Bones,” Jim said as he took a step towards the screen.

“The crystal is sealed,” Bones replied. “Phoenix and I were successful.”

Everyone on the ship cheered; Scotty and Chekov hugged each other, Corsair and Hepzibah kissed, Lilandra praised her gods…

And Jim stood in the center with his eyes shining. “Knew you could do it,” Jim said. “You can do anything.”

“Thank you,” Lilandra added. “I have no way to ever repay you, my friend.”

Bones smiled. “I cannot destroy the crystal to prevent this from happening again. However…I can take it some place where it can’t be reached. I will put it in a black hole deep in space,” Bones continued. “There it – and I – will remain.”

The cheering stopped, and everyone grew somber.

“Leonard,” Nyota said, and once more she had tears in her eyes. “You can’t…”

“I have to,” Bones said. “It is the only way to ensure our safety.” He looked at Jim, and Bones was moved by the deep sadness he saw on his face. Maybe he had been wrong when he decided Jim was only interested in him as a friend. “I am very sorry, Jim,” Bones said. “But I won’t be gone forever. I’ll come back, I promise.”

Jim looked down at the floor before looking back up at Bones; he tried to smile, but it came out broken. “I’m holding you to that,” he said, and Bones wished he could stay more than anything.

“Goodbye,” Bones said, and he took down his image. He turned and flew back through the stars. When he reached the end of the sol system, he opened a stargate. He traveled through it, and when he came out on the other side, he was in a quadrant so remote even the Shi’ar had not explored it. It was truly uncharted space. 

Bones used his telepathy like a type of sonar to explore the system. There was no life within it, only six planets, a sun, and several moons. The sun hovered in space before him, and he flew towards it. He regarded it for a long while; it glittered before his eyes, and Bones could not help but think it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Well…second most beautiful.

Pain flooded Bones’ body at the memory of the sadness in Jim’s eyes when he left. “Oh Jim,” he said out loud as he stared at the light. “The light…if only you could see it…if only you could be here with me,” he continued. He watched the star simmer and shimmer before him, committing every detail to memory. Jim couldn’t be with him, but he could tell him…he could show him, if Jim would let him use his powers to do so.

Bones turned and flew in the opposite direction of the star. Deep at the end of this system was the object he sought: an ancient black hole, older than the Sol system itself. His phoenix hovered before it, and Bones watched a glimmering light at each of its poles. It sparked like a spinning top, and Bones again wished Jim could be with him to witness it. 

The center of the vacuum was dark, and Bones knew it would serve his purpose. He flew into the heart of the black hole, the powers of the Phoenix keeping him safe. He pulled the crystal free from his chest and dropped it deep within. In moments, the pressure pulverized the crystal, turning it into glowing pink shards. They were then crushed into fine dust, and Bones’ task was complete.

The crystal would never be used again.

Bones turned in the black hole back towards space and smiled. 

It was just about worth it.

\-----

It didn’t take long for Lilandra’s cruiser to fly back to Earth space, and it descended through the atmosphere, landing near the Presidio. Lilandra turned to Jim and smiled. “Welcome home,” she said to him, and Jim nodded at her in thanks.

Scotty sat by a computer, looking over the schematics for the ship. Chekov read over his shoulder. “Aye, if only we could get Starfleet on board with this,” Scotty said. “We could beat the Romulans for sure.”

“Perhaps if we take the schematics to them,” Chekov said with a thoughtful look. “Maybe they will listen.”

Lilandra entered a few keystrokes at her computer, before handing Nyota a disk. Nyota took it with a curious expression. “What’s this?”

“The entire history of the Shi’ar, including our customs and language,” Lilandra said with a smile. “We will be dealing more with each other soon. I think it best that we are on equal footing going forward.”

Nyota’s eyes widened. “Majestrix, I am… _honored_ is the only word.”

“You are the very best of your organization, Nyota Uhura. It is _my_ honor to bestow this upon you.”

Placing the disk in a compartment on her belt, Nyota smiled. “Thank you, Majestrix.”

Lilandra smiled down at her before turning to Jim. “Your crew does you a great deal of credit, James Kirk. I am proud to have met you.”

Not feeling much like smiling, Jim forced one onto his face anyways. “Same here, Lilandra.”

“Please give my thanks to Admiral Pike,” Lilandra said. “I realize I put him into a difficult position with my earlier actions.”

“I’m sure he understands,” Jim said. “But I’ll tell him at debriefing.”

“Now that I am the Majestrix of the Shi’ar empire, I see no need for us to hide ourselves from your Federation,” Lilandra added. “Perhaps we will join it.”

While normally this would make Jim incredibly happy, he simply said, “That would be great. We can draw up the paperwork.”

Lilandra nodded. “We must head back to Chandilar; there will be unrest due to D’Ken’s machinations. I am sorry we cannot stay longer, but I am now tasked with helping my people.”

“We understand,” Spock said, and Nyota and Sulu nodded their agreement. 

Corsair clasped Jim on the shoulder. “I’m sorry I tried to use you as a weapon against the Empire, Jim. You’re a good man.”

“Thanks,” Jim said. “I mean, I understand.”

“I’ve lived for my revenge so long, I almost don’t know what to do with myself. I guess I have to find a new reason for living.”

Jim cast his eyes downward and swallowed. “So will I.”

“I’m honored to have fought beside you and your crew,” Corsair finished as he took a step backwards. “We’ll probably meet again, and I promise it will be as friends next time.”

“Yeah,” Jim said, again with a smile he didn’t feel. “Take care, Corsair.”

Corsair took another step backwards, and Lilandra’s technician beamed the six Starfleet officers outside. They stood on the grounds of Starfleet Academy, and the view overlooked the San Francisco Bay.

Jim sighed, and Nyota stepped over towards him. “He’ll be back,” she said.

Jim looked at her. “I’m that obvious?” he asked, even though he knew her answer.

“Leonard will be back,” she repeated, and Spock came closer to them, putting a hand on Nyota’s waist.

“Are you familiar with the Phoenix of legend?” Spock asked.

Jim sighed. “I don’t care about legends right now.”

“The Phoenix is a mythical bird that is consumed by flame,” Spock continued as if Jim hadn’t spoken. “When it dies, it resurrects itself from its ashes.” Spock took his free hand and turned Jim to face him. “It always returns: hope which never dies.” Jim was surprised to see how gentle Spock’s eyes were. “Think about it, Jim.” He let go of Jim’s shoulder and walked to the Academy.

“In the meanwhile,” Nyota said with a smile. “If you need a friend, I’m available.”

Jim looked down at her, and this time his smile was genuine. “Thanks, Nyota. I may take you up on that.” 

“Of course,” she said as she followed her lover. One by one the others departed, leaving Jim alone.

The sun had set, and the sky was painted vibrant oranges and purples. Jim wrapped his arms around himself as he watched it, scanning the sky for any sign of Bones. 

There were none.

Jim continued to hug himself as the sun dipped lower and lower on the horizon. Finally, it was gone, leaving only a ginger-colored sky behind. 

“Bones,” Jim whispered as he closed his eyes. 

He turned and made his way to Starfleet Headquarters.


	9. Epilogue

Jim Kirk stared out the bridge’s view screen, searching the stars as had become a habit over the course of the last week. 

It was different up in space than in Georgia.

After debriefing, which went about as well as could be expected (“Doctor McCoy did what? With what?”) Jim went to Savannah to tell Bones’ Aunt and Uncle about what transpired. He explained as best he could about everything involving the Phoenix, and while they were sad, they were also proud of their nephew. It was plain by the look in their eyes. 

His original plan was to leave Savannah after only a day and stay in a hotel, but Ginger didn’t want to hear it. So Jim spent the week at Magnolia Bend, helping with the horses. Ginger and Johnny were good people, and it made him feel closer to Bones as a result.

He spent hours every night looking up at the sky, hoping to see Bones come back to Earth.

  
[  
](http://archiveofourown.org/works/540816)

Before he knew it, the week was up, and he returned to San Francisco. Ginger told him he was welcome back any time, and he promised to take her up on that. So now Jim stood on the bridge, staring at space and trying to ignore the hole that filled his heart.

He sighed, and someone put a hand on his shoulder. Jim turned; it was Nyota. “He’ll come back,” Nyota said. “You know he will.”

“Yeah, it’s not a question of _if_ ,” Jim agreed. “It’s a question of _when_.” And how long he would wait for him.

Nyota nodded. “Just give him some more time,” she said, and she took her station. Jim nodded before scanning the stars again, hoping against hope that Bones was on his way.

He wasn’t, though.

There were several hours before they were due to take off, as the crew still had to arrive, and he should head down to medical to make sure Geoff had everything under control as acting Chief Medical Officer. So he turned and made his way to the turbo lift.

“Captain,” Spock began. 

Jim gave him a shaky smile. “Just checking up on something. I’ll be back in time for departure. You have the conn.” Spock nodded, and off Jim went. He took a turbo lift to deck six, and he walked down the hallway.

The thing about the medical wing was it also housed the Chief Medical Officer’s quarters. The room was about three meters down and across from sickbay. Jim stopped and stared at the door.

Before he even registered what he did, he pushed his override into the keypad. The door slid open, and he stepped inside. “Lights,” he called, and they came up at once. 

Bones’ quarters sat empty.

Jim leaned back against the door and sighed. It wasn’t a surprise, but there was that hope again. He walked past the living room and back to the bedroom area, where he promptly sat on the bed. He tried to visualize what side Bones would sleep on but came up with a blank. 

Jim sighed and lay down, kicking off his boots as he did so. Even though two weeks passed, the sheets smelled like Bones. Jim hugged one of the pillows close to his chest. “Bones,” he whispered. “Come home.”

He continued to lie there for a while when a bright flash startled him. Jim turned towards it, and what he saw made his heart leap with happiness.

Bones sat on the bed next to him in his Phoenix outfit.

Jim sat up and stared at Bones. He reached out a hand and poked him hard in the chest. “Ow,” Bones grumbled. Jim poked him a second time. “I’m real, Jim.”

“You’re here,” Jim finally said, and a smile lit up his face. “You came back!”

“I did promise I would,” Bones replied. He also smiled, and Jim’s grew brighter as a result.

“You did, but you didn’t say how long you’d be,” Jim said. “I just assumed you’d be gone for a lot longer.” Like forever, he thought, hoping Bones wouldn’t read his mind.

Bones raised an eyebrow. “You called me, so I came.”

Jim’s face softened. “I don’t…I just…you heard me?”

Bones nodded. They looked at each other for a few minutes, which made Jim flush. Shifting his position so he was sitting sideways but still facing Jim, Bones gave him another long look. “I think we need to talk,” he said, and that made Jim blush a second time.

Fuck. 

Bones knew.

“Yeah, well,” Jim began. “I mean. I think I know how this is going to go, so I can save you the trouble.”

Bones’ expression changed from serious to perplexed.

“I know you just want to be friends,” Jim continued. “Everything you’ve ever done with me has screamed “just friends,” and I get that, I really do. If you give me some time, I’ll move past this.”

Bones’ face became less confused. He shook his head a few times. “Jim…”

“I will, Bones, I promise. I can’t say when or how, but I’ll get over you,” Jim finished as he glanced down at his hands. 

Bones stared at him with a blank expression, causing Jim to flinch.

“You didn’t know. You didn’t know, and now I just blabbed it out like verbal diarrhea,” Jim said as he ducked down his head.

“And what if I don’t want you to?” Bones asked.

Jim looked back up at him. “What?”

“What if I don’t want you to get over me?” Bones asked a second time. 

“I don’t understand,” Jim said. “Why wouldn’t you want that? You don’t want me.”

Bones sighed. “No, you _think_ I don’t want you because that’s what I’ve _wanted_ you to think.” He reached out and took Jim’s hands in his. “I have been wanting you, _only you_ , for a long time, Jim.”

Jim’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“I love you,” Bones whispered, and Jim didn’t even stop to think before throwing himself into his arms. The force knocked Bones onto his back, and he laughed a little. “I love you, Jim,” he repeated.

“I…” Jim began. He meant to say _I love you, too_ , he really did. What came out instead was, “Back at you.”

That time, Jim flinched for a different reason. 

Bones didn’t look upset. “I know what you mean,” he said. “It’s okay, Jim. You’ll say it when it’s time.”

Jim nodded and buried his face in Bones’ neck. He took a long time to breathe him in, scared he was going to disappear again. “Do you have to go back?”

“No, the crystal’s been destroyed by a black hole. Even if it wasn’t destroyed, no one could get to it to use it again,” Bones said as he ran a hand up Jim’s spine. “I’m here for good.”

Jim smiled; he lifted himself up so that he faced Bones. The green of his jacket made Bones’ eyes stand out more than usual, and there were bright flecks of gold in them. Jim closed his eyes and tilted his head down; Bones met him halfway, and they kissed. It was soft and gentle, and Jim melted into it. He forgot everything else he was supposed to do as he kissed Bones for what seemed like hours. 

The kiss ended, and Jim opened his eyes. Bones brought a hand up and touched Jim’s bottom lip with a finger. “I could do that for days,” Bones said in a hoarse voice. 

Jim smiled. “Well, I hope not _just_ that,” he said as he brought out his tongue and licked the tip of Bones’ finger. 

Bones’ eyes darkened, but he had a concerned look on his face. “Don’t you need to be on the bridge?”

Jim shrugged. “Told Spock I’d be back in time for launch. That means we’ve got a couple of hours.”

“All right,” Bones said, and he rolled them so they lay on their sides. He leaned in and kissed Jim a second time. Jim smiled into it before opening his mouth, coaxing Bones into deepening the kiss. 

They continued to kiss for a long time; neither of them was in any hurry, and Jim decided that kissing Bones was his new favorite hobby. He wound a hand into Bones’ hair, the other hand toying with the gold belt across Bones’ hips. Bones had cupped Jim’s face in his hands, and they stayed like that for a while.

Finally, they broke apart. Jim decided it was time to go for broke. He unfastened the green jacket, or at least he tried to. It was hard to figure out where it closed. Bones looked down at his hands.

“Am I reading this wrong?” Jim asked as he figured it out and opened the jacket. Bones wore a thin black shirt underneath, and he could feel his muscles through the fabric.

“No,” Bones said. “I could have removed my clothes with my powers, that’s all.”

“This is better,” Jim said as he pulled the jacket down Bones’ arms, tossing it onto the floor. Bones reached out and grabbed the hem of Jim’s shirts, pulling them up over his head. They joined his jacket on the floor, and Jim similarly removed the black shirt. They surged back together, and Jim felt Bones’ heart beating in his chest. 

“There’s something else,” Bones said as he bent down and tasted the skin of Jim’s throat. 

Jim leaned his head back and sighed. His hands found their way to Bones’ shoulders; his eyes drifted closed as Bones’ mouth moved down his neck. Jim ached for Bones, ached to be with him in every way he could. “Yeah?”

Bones continued to run his mouth over Jim’s throat, pausing to suck on a spot. “I want to link us.”

Jim smirked. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

Moving from one side of Jim’s neck to the other, and for once not taking the bait, Bones said, “I meant telepathically. I want to link us telepathically.” He pulled back and looked at Jim. “I know you don’t like it when I’m in your head, but…just this once, I’d like to, and you’ll be equally in mine.”

Oh.

Jim’s face grew serious. If Bones linked them telepathically, it would mean that he’d be privy to everything going on in Jim’s mind. Every thought would be laid bare.

But Bones looked so earnest…and after being apart for so long, Jim wanted, no _needed_ to be as close to him as possible.

“Okay,” Jim said as he wrapped a leg around Bones’ waist, drawing him in closer. He could feel Bones’ erection against his thigh, and he gasped. “You can do it.”

Jim felt Bones smile into his skin. “As you wish.”

There was silence before images and feelings began to wash over Jim’s consciousness. He gasped a second time, albeit louder, as he got hit by all of Bones’ emotions. There was want and need, and above all love and warmth. 

He could also see himself through Bones’ eyes, and what he saw took his breath away. Jim saw himself bathed in light, bright blue eyes glittering, smile warm and inviting. Jim knew he was handsome, but this…“That’s how you see me?” he asked once he calmed enough to do so.

//That’s how I see you, darlin’.// Bones said to him telepathically. //I see a similar image of myself in your thoughts. I guess that’s just how people in love see each other.//

Jim ran his hands down Bones’ shoulders to his chest. “Thank you.”

Bones moved lower on his body, licking at his clavicle. //Anytime.//

Jim fisted one hand in the sheets, and the other he placed in Bones’ hair. “How do I do that? Talk, I mean.”

//Just think something and send it to me. You might have to concentrate at first.//

Jim furrowed his brows. //Can you hear this?// he thought as loud as he could.

Bones jerked back from him; Jim went to ask what was wrong, but before he could Bones sent, //You’re shouting.//

//Oh.// Jim lowered his telepathic voice. //Is this better?//

//Yeah.// Bones came close again, shifting his position so he was back within kissing range. Bones kissed Jim, and this one was harder, more desperate. //You don’t have to if you don’t want to.//

//I want to.// Jim thought as they kissed again. He grew more comfortable with the communication the more he did it. //It’s kind of cool to be able to talk and make out at the same time.//

Bones didn’t reply, he instead brought his hand down to the waistband of Jim’s pants. He undid the button before unzipping the fly. Bones then slid his hand into them, cupping his cock through his briefs. 

Jim jerked his hips in response. “Oh,” he said out loud as Bones ran his hand up his shaft. //More.//

Bones moved his hand down into the briefs, curling his fist around Jim’s cock. Jim broke the kiss to pant, squeezing his eyes closed so he could feel Bones. Once again, he shifted his hips into him, trying to get more friction. 

As Bones began to stroke him in earnest, Jim’s thoughts short-circuited. The only thing that mattered was Bones, tasting and touching him for as long as possible.  
//Your thoughts have turned into babbling.// Bones remarked as he continued to jerk him off. //Must like what I’m doing.//

“Mm, yeah,” Jim said between breaths. “Gonna come if you keep that up.”

//Can’t have that.// Bones let go of his cock as he kicked off his boots and unbuckled his belt. Jim licked his lips in anticipation. He reached out his hands to toss Bones’ belt onto the floor before undoing his trousers. Bones slid the pants and his boxers down his body. Thinking quickly, Jim wriggled out of his own pants, pulling them off and pitching them aside. He peeled his briefs down, Bones helping him with his hands. 

Bones rolled them so Jim lay on his back with him resting above him in between his thighs. Jim heard a drawer open, and he saw a little flaming ball of energy drop an object onto the bed next to Bones’ hand. He almost asked what it was when Bones grabbed it and held it up.

It was a tube of lubricant.

//Just say the word.// Bones thought as he kissed Jim. 

Suddenly a little nervous, Jim nodded. “Go ahead.” Bones felt nervous through the link too, and that comforted him. 

Bones opened the lube and spread some on his right hand. He brought it down underneath Jim and to his entrance. He then pushed a finger into him. 

“Uhn,” Jim said as he leaned forward, burying his face in Bones’ neck. Bones slid the finger in and out of him, and Jim got hit with a wave of need and desire through their bond. One finger became two, and Jim ground his hips down to meet Bones’ hand.

Bones added a third finger. //Fuck, you’re tight.//

Mewling, Jim bit down on the junction where Bones’ shoulder and neck met. “Please, Bones,” he said. “Please.”

Bones nodded, pulling his fingers out and pausing to grab the lube again. He slicked up his cock, shifting so that it was pressed against Jim’s hole. Bones pushed inside, causing Jim to bite down on his shoulder a second time. Bones had a thick cock, and it burned in the best possible way. 

“Shit,” Jim gasped. Their thoughts merged; he could no longer tell where his began and Bones’ ended. They were joined in every way two people could be. 

Bones pulled back, and Jim made eye contact with him. //Gonna move.// 

And he did.

Bones slid in and out of Jim, setting a slow, hard rhythm. He also did not sever their eye contact, and Jim panted in earnest. Bones grabbed one of Jim’s hands and laced their fingers together as Jim wrapped his legs around Bones’ waist, pulling him in deeper. They moved together, and the only sound in the room was their breathing. 

//This good?// Bones asked after a while.

Jim nodded. Bones shifted his hips, and he hit Jim’s prostate. Jim cried out, his legs trembling. Bones got it on every thrust as Jim started to get closer and closer to his orgasm. Unable to help himself, Jim made little hitching moans. They looked into each other’s eyes the entire time. Jim gripped Bones’ hand tighter; he was almost there. Jim shouted as his orgasm hit him, come splashing onto his and Bones’ stomachs. 

//Beautiful.// Bones said, having watched his face and eyes as he came. 

Jim blinked, his face flushed and pupils blown. He tightened his legs around Bones’ waist. “C’mon, Bones,” he managed to whisper. “Come for me.”

Bones groaned at his words, thrusting a few more times before becoming still. //Jim!//

Jim reached his free hand up and stroked his hair. He could concentrate enough to speak telepathically again. //That’s it. It was good, Bones. Better than.//

Bones smiled at Jim, a soft smile he had never seen before. He slid out of his body, leaning down to kiss him. Bones then shifted them so they lay on their sides. 

Jim sighed. He waited for all of his usual post-sex feelings, such as _time to go_ and _gotta shower_. 

They didn’t come.

Jim sighed a second time as he nuzzled into Bones’ neck, as close as he could get. He inhaled Bones’ scent, noticing that it was now mixed with his own. He wrapped his arms tight around Bones’ waist and closed his eyes. This was where he belonged, in Bones’ bed and Bones’ arms. Bones’ thoughts surrounded his with a pleasant hum, and a thought occurred to him then. “Is the link permanent?”

Bones stroked his back. //Not if you don’t want it to be.//

Jim moved so he could look Bones in the eye. “And…if I want it to be?”

Bones smiled. //I’ll have to augment it, make it stronger so it still works if we’re far apart like when you’re planet side, and I stay on the ship. It also means total sharing and trust, Jim. I don’t want to push you into that.//

“You’re not pushing me.” Jim closed his eyes. //I’d like to keep it. I wasn’t sure at first, but I like this. I like the intimacy of it. Besides, in a way it’s always just been us. This solidifies what we already had.//

Bones pressed another kiss to his mouth, and he felt the link between them strengthen. Everything in Bones’ mind was there for him to witness, and likewise everything in his was there for Bones. It humbled him and made him feel like his mind became wrapped in a warm down comforter on a cold day. 

//There.// Bones said. //We now have a full psychic rapport.//

Jim smiled. //Thanks.// It was easier to communicate, and Jim sighed. //It’s probably time for me to head back to the bridge.//

//I could always telepathically convince everyone you’re there so you could stay.// Bones said.

Jim stopped; it was tempting. Still though, it wasn’t a good idea. //Better not, in case something happens.//

//Fair enough.// Bones kissed him. //We can always come back here after you’re done for the day.//

Grinning, Jim snuggled again into Bones’ throat. //That sounds perfect. Want to shower with me?//

//That’s not necessary.// Bones’ eyes turned white, and a warm glow surrounded them. Within seconds not only was the sweat and come cleaned off their bodies, but their clothes were on and their hair was back in place. Bones had even put on a Starfleet uniform. //See?//

//Show off.// Jim looked down at his uniform. //This is convenient as hell.//

//It is.// Bones admitted with some pride. He sat up and extended a hand to Jim, who let him pull him upright. //Ready?//

“Hm,” Jim said out loud. He leaned in and gave Bones a very thorough kiss. //Now I am.//

//All right then, let’s go.// 

They stood, and walked hand-in-hand to the door.

\-----

The launch, as always, was successful, and Spock excused himself to prepare reports about the Phoenix to Starfleet. He had been debriefed with the others, but as Science Officer he was required to make additional reports about any and all cosmic phenomena the _Enterprise_ encountered.

The Phoenix qualified.

Spock entered the code to his office, and the door slid open. “Lights,” he said, and they came up.

The room wasn’t empty, though.

Spock blinked three times at the scene before him.

A man sat in his desk chair; he had dark brown hair and an air about him of smug superiority. His brown eyes were assessing, and he wore something that looked like a Starfleet uniform, but wasn’t one of the current ones. It was a red and black one-piece suit with a Starfleet badge on the chest. “Ah, here we go,” the man said with a raised eyebrow. “I was about to do something dramatic, like appear on the bridge.”

“Who are you?” Spock demanded. “How did you get on this vessel? We are at warp, and there have been no reports of any use of the transporters.”

The man waved a hand. “Whatever.”

Spock tapped his badge. “Security…” he said. “We have an intruder.”

Nothing came over the line. 

The man made a _tsk_ ing sound. “We’re alone, Commander Kitty,” he said with a smile. “I’ve isolated us from the rest of the crew. I’ve got something I need to say, and it’s for your ears only.”

Spock turned and tried to open his office door; indeed, it was stuck. He turned back to the man in the chair and folded his arms behind his back.

“Oh, of course,” the man said. “You’re not going to argue or fight because it’s _illogical_.” He stood and continued to smile. “You Vulcans are so predictable it ought to be against the law.”

Spock looked the man in the eye. “You have me at every disadvantage, and if you are powerful enough to stowaway on a Federation vessel that is in warp, fighting you does not make much sense, especially as I am unarmed. I have no choice but to hear what you wish to say.”

With a look of surprise, the man raised up both his hands. “I promise I’m a friend. You can call me Q.”

“I would introduce myself, but as you insist on referring to me as ‘Commander Kitty,’ I have deduced that you already are aware of both who and what I am,” Spock replied.

This must have pleased Q, because he leaned against Spock’s desk. “Your doctor’s back.”

Spock raised an eyebrow. “Doctor McCoy has returned?” He went to the computer panel in the wall. “Computer, locate crew member McCoy, Leonard H.”

_Searching: Medical wing, Chief Medical Officer’s office._

Q rolled his eyes. “I just told you he was here. Honestly, you people…”

“You will forgive me, as you have given me no reason to trust you.” Spock turned back to him. “You are, in fact, holding me hostage.”

“Fair enough,” he said. Q gestured to the chair. “Take a seat. You’re not going to like this.” Spock hesitated, but indeed sat down. He watched Q gather his thoughts. “Let me tell you what I know about the Phoenix,” he said after a moment, and again Spock raised an eyebrow.

“I have done extensive research into the Phoenix, both in Terran Literature and Vulcan,” Spock said. “I also have witnessed its abilities firsthand. I do not know what you can tell me of which I am not already aware.”

“What you know about the Phoenix is a drop in the ocean. It’s a thimble.”

Against his better judgment, Spock was curious. “The Phoenix is the Guardian of the M’Kraan Crystal. It gave Doctor McCoy powerful psychic abilities...”

“It did all that, that’s true,” Q said as he checked his nails for dirt. “But you don’t know the whole story. The Phoenix has more than one purpose, Commander Kitty. You think _Herr Doktor_ can just move objects; he can move molecules, and his senses have expanded beyond all boundaries 7.”

Spock did not say anything; he instead let him continue.

“He’s basically a God now,” Q finished. 

“So why does he not simply make his own universe, the way the Mad Emperor D’Ken did inside the M’Kraan Crystal?”

Q _tsk_ ed a second time. “See, that’s what you’re not getting. You don’t get how it functions at all. The Phoenix doesn’t act like that. _It burns away what doesn’t work_. It eats planets, it eats stars, and for whatever reason, it’s decided to call your doctor home.” 

Now Spock was silent for a different reason.

“The Phoenix judges, and what it gives, it can take back without breaking a sweat or bleeding.” 

It occurred to Spock then Q was afraid; it was not apparent by his posture and he was not shaking, but there was a look in his eyes that reminded Spock of Admiral Pike when he left to meet with Nero on the _Narada_. “I do not understand. If the Phoenix judges us yet has found Doctor McCoy worthy of being its host, then logically should he not be up to the task of hosting it?”

“Oh it’s judging him too,” Q countered. “It’s judging him, and I don’t think you’re going to like what it finds when it looks too close. He lets it get too familiar, and it’s all over.”

“I still do not understand your point,” Spock said. “The Doctor has done nothing but good with his newfound power. It would be illogical to assume he would be somehow corrupted by this force.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Q said with an edge to his voice. “I just told you, the Phoenix _burns away what doesn’t work_.” He took a step back from Spock. “So ask yourself one thing, Commander Kitty…what’s _Herr Doktor_ here to burn?”

Spock found he had nothing to say, as illogical as it was. 

Q stared at him for several minutes before turning his attention to one of the walls. “This stays between us for now,” he said. “I’ll know if you tell anyone, even that pretty linguist of yours.” He shrugged and got an ingratiating smile on his face. “Although I’m sure no one would believe you anyways. After all, it’d be _illogical_ without evidence.”

With that, he disappeared into thin air, leaving Spock alone. He heard the door locks come back up, and he knew without trying that his communicator was online. 

Fear was an illogical emotion, particularly when felt solely out of hearsay and not because of any scientific evidence. However, fear was the main emotion Spock felt at that particular moment. 

If the man was right, and Doctor McCoy was here to “burn away what doesn’t work”…what did that mean? 

Spock took a long, deep breath and his hands shook. While he was now concerned, there really wasn’t much he could do. All of the evidence pointed to McCoy’s hosting the Phoenix force as a good thing. Acting on the words of one person, no matter how foreboding, was incredibly illogical.

However…it was a warning, one that Spock would not soon forget.

\----

After putting in his eight hours, Hikaru Sulu “clocked out” and went down to the mess hall to get some dinner. Pavel walked with him, and they chatted about everything and nothing as they made their way off the bridge. One particular topic was the captain and how he practically glowed during their shift.

The mess served meatloaf, or rather what passed for it, that day. Mashed potatoes, too, if anyone could call them that. They were runny. It was a thing. Sulu sighed as he looked at his tray; Pavel, who had dug in, gave him a funny look. “I did not miss the food,” Hikaru said under his breath. “Why are you doing that? You didn’t starve or anything on the break, did you?”

Pavel swallowed. “No, I am just hungry.”

Hikaru shrugged and took a bite of meatloaf. Yeah, it still had the texture of sawdust. “So am I, but I’m not shoving this swill into my mouth like there’s no tomorrow.”

Giving him a long look, Pavel said, “You are in a bad mood.”

Hikaru sighed. “I’m not, not really. I just…I don’t know. This whole Phoenix thing still has me on edge.”

Before Pavel could ask why, a friendly brogue asked, “Is this seat taken?” Pavel brightened and grinned, and Hikaru smiled at Scotty. 

“Not at all,” Pavel said. “Sit, please.”

Scotty set his tray on the table and took the chair next to Pavel. “It’s been a long day,” he said as he began to eat. 

Hikaru nodded. “Yeah, it has.”

Pavel gave Hikaru another pointed look. “Hikaru was talking about how he is still upset over Phoenix.”

Hikaru, whose mouth was full at that moment, glared daggers at his roommate. Pavel would pay for that later when he’d find all of Hikaru’s dirty clothes wadded up under his pillow.

Scotty got an intrigued look on his face. “Oh really? After everything McCoy’s done, that seems a bit odd.”

Hikaru swallowed. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful; I just don’t think any person should host this Phoenix thing.” He took another bite and chewed. As he swallowed, it occurred to him that he was anxious over nothing. McCoy wasn’t even on the ship. “Although, I guess it’s a moot point since the Doc’s gone now.” 

“I wonder if when he comes back, he will still be bonded to Phoenix,” Pavel mused, and Scotty looked thoughtful at his words. “It protected the crystal; it has no reason to stay with him.”

“That whole situation was so fantastic,” Scotty said with awe in his voice. “I wouldn’t believe it had I not been along for the ride.” He looked at Pavel with a slight blush. “Sorry I kept clinging to you, by the way.”

Pavel also blushed and gave him a coy smile. “I did not mind.”

Hikaru looked back between the two of them with an eyebrow raised. That was new.

“Hey, can we sit here?” a voice said, and Hikaru looked up at the Captain. He also realized the reason why he was so happy stood right behind him. Doctor McCoy was back, and he looked…not outwardly happy, like Kirk, but there was a lightness to him Hikaru hadn’t seen before.

“No, join us,” Scotty said as he gestured to the empty chairs. Kirk took the seat next to Sulu, and McCoy sat to his right. 

“When did you arrive?” Pavel asked with a grin.

“Just before launch,” McCoy answered as he took a bit meatloaf, grimacing at the flavor. “The crystal’s safe for now; no living creature can get to it. There wasn’t any point in living inside a black hole, so here I am.”

“So since you flew back through space, you’re still bonded to Phoenix I’m assuming?” Scotty said. 

“Yeah,” McCoy said, and Hikaru watched him eat with a frown. “It can’t really be severed; that wasn’t part of the deal.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kirk said, and he put his hand on McCoy’s shoulder. “Phoenix and Bones saved the universe, and I like having that kind of power on our side. The telepathy alone will come in handy for diplomatic missions, never mind the telekinesis.”

McCoy stared at Kirk with a withering expression. “I just got volunteered for every mission we have from here on out, didn’t I?”

Kirk didn’t answer; he kept smiling, and McCoy sighed in response.

Spock and Nyota came up to the table, although Spock seemed distant and preoccupied. Hikaru wondered what that was about as they sat down.

“Leonard,” Nyota said. “Welcome back!”

“Thanks, Nyota,” McCoy said with part of a smile. “I didn’t miss the food.”

Hikaru sighed; that he could agree with. “Me neither.”

“I don’t think any of us did,” Jim mumbled. “I really should have a talk with HQ about what constitutes acceptable food on a starship. The food on StarCore was awesome.”

Spock, who instead of the meatloaf had a salad, looked at the captain. “It seems odd that you would prefer anything about that situation, given what resulted.”

Kirk sat back on the bench. “In spite of the brainwashed crew attacking us, the explosions, and Bones getting killed, StarCore wasn’t all that bad.”

Scotty paused in mid-sip. “You know, you never did explain to us what happened there. You’ve been very vague about this entire death business.”

“I am curious about it as well,” Nyota said. 

“I have told you what happened,” Spock said as he gave her a confused look. 

“I want to hear it from Leonard, since he’s the one who actually resurrected,” she explained.

Chekov looked curious, and Hikaru found he was as well. He wiped his hands off on his pants and tried to school his face into a more neutral expression. Maybe hearing more about the Phoenix would calm him. 

“Well,” McCoy said. “I was flying the shuttle…” he began, telling the story. They all listened to him recount a tale of flaming beings and being offered a chance to start again.

And while Hikaru still was not convinced that McCoy hosting the Phoenix was in fact a good thing…he listened with rapt attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1.) Phoenix’s dialogue is taken from Classic X-Men #8.
> 
> 2.) New X-Men #128. “Jean is only the house where I live, Charles…I am born and consumed in blood and flame and sacrifice. And return. Always coming back…It’s not a place. It’s how it feels to be the last hope…and to know you’ll win against all the odds. It’s the wing of the Phoenix touching your heart with flame.”
> 
> 3.) The “Manifestation of the Phoenix” was originally used by neuro-mystics of the Shi’ar, according to New X-Men #128. I’ve changed it so that the Vulcans have seen a prior manifestation of the Phoenix force.
> 
> 4.) New X-Men #150. “I had to die to come back, Logan. But I don’t know how long they’ll let me stay.”
> 
> 5.) This scene is based off a scene between Jean and Professor Xavier in New X-Men #128.
> 
> 6.) D’Ken’s dialogue to open the crystal is taken from the X-Men Animated Series episode, “The Starjammers.”
> 
> 7.) Grant Morrison, New X-Men #148. “Let me tell you what I know about the Phoenix…Now I’m learning to move molecules around and expand my senses beyond all boundaries.” “…You could be like a god, Jeannie…” “The Phoenix isn’t like that, Logan. It’s more like…it burns away what doesn’t work. It eats planets and stars. It talks to me. And if I get too close…it replaces me.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cover art for 'Phoenix Invictus'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9421325) by [avictoriangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avictoriangirl/pseuds/avictoriangirl)




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